White
by Darev
Summary: Please...if anyone recieves this message...help us. We are stranded...things, trying to get in. Temperature is dropping and...we are turning on eachother. This is Prince Skye, can anyone...
1. Chapter 1

**Author: This just came to me as I was considering the premise of another project. Originally, I had thought to use the Omega Dimension as the setting of this piece but creativity struck and I decided to create my own version of Hell. A note to all: this story may contain some disturbing scenes. It won't be a gore fest as I hate those, but there will be blood and some violence. The whole concept of this tale is to see how the characters would react if they're placed into a situation so dire and so beyond their capabilities that they'd end up turning on one another. Would their friendship be enough to see them through or will prejudices and selfishness overcome their sensibilities? Just how far are they willing to go to survive? If they are meant to survive at all?**

**---**

1-Prologue

"Here they come!" Riven yelled.

Prince Skye looked down the hall to where Riven came running around the corner. Behind him came Helia, his bandages soaked with new blood and his eyes as terrified as the prince had ever seen. He nearly collapsed from exhaustion but Riven was there to pick him up and had to drag him all the way back to the compartment.

Riven looked to Skye just as an explosion rocked the ship. "Shut it now!"

Skye complied and the hatch sealed tight. Those _things_ were now trapped out in the hall but who knows how long that would last. The door was three feet of titanium alloy but no matter the obstacle the creatures had always managed to find a way through. It was only a matter of time before they got in here. The team had to be up and out of this place before then. But that was easier said than done.

The storage compartment had become a makeshift medical ward after the real one had been destroyed. That was hours ago, or was it days? Skye had lost count. All he knew was that he had to get his people out of here. They were his responsibility and no matter what he would see them through this or die trying.

With the way things were going the latter seemed all the more realistic.

"How many of them?" Skye asked.

"Too many." Riven answered as he placed Helia on a mat where Flora went to tend to this wounds. "They're all over the damn place! We kill one, three appear!" Riven turned on Skye. "If we don't get out of here soon we're going to die. I suggest you think up a plan real fast, prince, before I do something drastic." Riven left it at that and moved to find himself another weapon. He had been forced to discard his previous one after a _very_ close call that nearly took his head. Helia had saved him then. Helia. Riven looked over at his wounded friend. The boy was unconscious, the blood flowing freely after his last battle. Flora did not fight the tears. They flowed as freely as his blood. She did her best to bandage him up but she knew as well as Riven did that he would not last much longer.

He cursed under his breath.

"Tecna." Skye began. "See if you can scavenge some of those shelves over there. We're going to strengthen that door as much as we can. Bloom, see if you can help her. When she's done I want you to meld that stuff together. Nothing is getting through." After giving the girls their orders, Skye went to Riven who had his back turned to him. "Riven, there's something I need you to do."

"Haven't I done enough?" Riven asked.

"We don't have time to argue. I need you to go back to the armory and fetch some more grenades. You used up our last ones on that barricade of yours."

"At least it bought us some time." He said defensively.

"That may be so. But I'm telling you we won't last long without them. You've seen how they swarm. Only a grenade can effectively clear a path while taking out most of the bastards in one hit!" Skye grabbed his shoulder. "You have to do this."

"And why is that?" Riven shoved his hand off. "While Helia and I were fighting for our lives you could have fetched the grenades. All you've done is given orders. Well I'm sick of it!" He whirled around. "Where is Musa, Skye? Why hasn't she called in?"

The prince shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know where she and the others are. They shouldn't have gone out in the first place."

"At least they were doing something!" A blast shook the room. Flora covered Helia with her own body as the explosion had knocked loose several items that were on the shelves. "Musa was trying help." Riven continued. "And for all we know she's lying dead out there being picked clean by those _things_! I should have gone out with her."

"She's with Layla and Timmy."

"Layla and Timmy can't do shit!"

Bloom and Tecna looked up at that remark. Tecna's glare stabbed needles into the redhead and Bloom's was just as murderous. Riven can be such an ass. Like he's the only one who's loved ones were in danger.

"They went off on their own without our knowing. They should have told us. No one should go off on their own in a situation like this."

"You mean without your permission?"

"I'm in charge here, Riven."

"And a hell of a job you're doing!"

"Enough!" Bloom yelled. "Stop fighting! You're acting like fools!" The room shook again. "We have to work together if we're going to get out of here in one piece."

"Bloom's right." Added Tecna. "Bickering amongst ourselves in a time like this is not only illogical, it's suicidal!"

"Staying in _here_ is suicidal." Riven said.

Skye watched as he turned and headed for the vent at the back of the room. "Hold it. We still need things besides the grenades."

"Screw you and your grenades!" Riven snapped. "I'm going to find Musa."

"What? Riven, wait!"

"Shut up!"

"Riven." Flora whimpered. Helia was barely breathing in her arms. "Please don't go. We need you. _He_ needs you." She motioned to her love.

That stopped Riven momentarily. As much as he cared for Helia though, for all of them, there was one person he could not live without. "I'm sorry." He was through the vent before anyone could stop him.

"That…asshole!" Tecna swore. "He only thinks of himself."

"You're one to talk." Skye muttered.

"What?" The fairy asked.

"Nothing." He turned his back on them, fists clenched. _Riven, Helia, Musa, Tecna, Brandon and Stella. Why wouldn't they listen to me. I'm trying to keep everyone alive. If they'd only stop acting like selfish pricks we'd have been out of here by now. If only we worked together. If only…if only I hadn't brought them here._

"Skye!"

"Huh?"

Bloom called him. "Wake up! We need you."

"Helia's getting worse." Flora said.

"And what about Timmy?" Tecna asked. "Isn't he just as important?"

Flora scowled at her. "Timmy's not here right now."

"He would be if you knew how to read instructions!"

"Don't do this." Bloom warned.

"He went out because _she_ doesn't know how to read."

"I didn't see you volunteering to go out." Flora said.

"Someone needed to work the comm."

"Or maybe you just wanted to be safe. Never on the front lines are you, Tec?"

"You stupid,"

"Stop!" Bloom was fighting back tears. "Can't you see? We're tearing ourselves apart."

"If those monsters don't do it first." Tecna said just before another explosion rattled their haven. "That fool, Riven! He put that one too close. Does he mean to blow a wall for the bastards to get in and eat us? Knowing him, he planned that all along."

"Alright, Tecna." Skye said.

"I mean it. He's been nothing but a hindrance to our efforts since the beginning."

"He's a good man."

"He's a threat!"

"Tecna!" Skye nearly exploded. "Enough! I have to think."

"Hmph. Now I _know_ we're doomed."

"Shut your mouth!" Bloom said. The redhead stood up. "Look I can still meld the shelves into the hatch so to buy us some time. But we still need to get Helia fixed up. We can't do that here."

As if he heard them, Helia groaned in Flora's lap.

"And where do you suggest we take him? The medical ward? Oh that's right?" Tecna looked at Skye. "Your antics destroyed that place didn't it?"

Ignoring her, Skye focused on Bloom. "I don't think it's a good idea to move Helia. I'll go see if I can scrounge up some med kits from the shuttle. I'll pick up some rations and weapons on the way. In the meantime just hold the fort. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Bloom watched him head for the vent. "Skye." He stopped. Bloom ran over and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Be careful."

"You know it." Skye entered the vent and turned for one last look at Bloom before moving on. He was only a few feet in when a blast so powerful shook him onto his stomach. He cursed and looked back. Smoke emitted from the room he had left. Swearing again, Skye went back inside only to find the room pitch black, save for the fire bellowing all around. "Bloom!" Skye searched for her. He found Bloom beneath the rubble, her beautiful face all bloodied up. "No." He fell to his knees. He did not see Flora, Tecna or Helia anywhere. To be honest, he didn't care. All he knew was that his love was dead.

"Bloom." He cradled her in his arms. How could this have happened? Why did it have to be her? She was kind. Pure. Loving. The perfect woman. She did not deserve to die like this. Not like this.

"I am so sorry." He cried. "Bloom, please forgive me." His sobs filled the air. His life had no meaning without her in it. He just hoped the flames would consume him so that he may join her in the afterlife. How he wished the blast had killed him too. Riven must have put one too close and…

"Riven." Skye whispered. His carelessness had killed the woman he loved. Tecna was right about him. He was a threat. He had been since the first time Skye had ever met him. "Riven." He said again only this time with more venom. He must pay. He had to. No way he was going to let those _things_ get to him before he did. Placing his dead love on the floor, Skye pulled out his sword.

It was time to go hunting.

---

**Author: You know I rewrote this opening ten times before I was satisfied. Took me only four hours! And all before Christmas too. I think this pretty much sums up what you can expect from this tale. A lot of bad things are going to happen and I only brought you into the middle of the story. This was the prologue. In the next chapter we see all the events leading up to this tragedy. Just where the hell are they and what is going on? Read to find out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author: Sorry about the wait. Thank you for all the good reviews. You guys are wonderful peers.**

**---**

Bloom had just entered her dorm room when her cell phone started ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hey, princess."

She smiled. "Hey, prince." She knew that voice anywhere. It was Prince Skye, the love of her life. "How's it going?"

"Can't complain. The guys and I have just got back to Red Fountain and I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Alright. I was just about to change."

"Already? What have you been doing since we left?"

She smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Skye was about to say something but stopped. He knew Bloom was playing with him and if he went along it was only a matter of time when she would get him worked up over nothing. It was her way. All girls did it. Be they fairy or not. "Maybe not." He admitted.

Bloom allowed herself a short chuckle before collapsing onto her bed. She kicked off her shoes and sprawled her bare legs over the edge. Without realizing it, Bloom began to twirl a lock of her hair in her fingers. It was a habit of hers, one she didn't care to correct for she believed everyone was allowed at least one bad habit to hold onto. Besides, she had such pretty hair. "So you going to bed?"

"In a minute." Skye said. "But first, I wanted to ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"How would you like to go on a trip with me?"

"A trip?" She asked.

"Yeah. You know like a vacation, a getaway, a,"

"I know what it means, Skye." She rolled her eyes. This was his way of annoying her. It was a trait all boys had. Hero or not. "To where?"

"The Denobulas Cluster."

"Never heard of it."

"You kidding? It's one of the most beautiful spots in the entire universe. They say the stars are so numerous that they look like an ocean in space."

"Sounds nice."

"Nice?" Skye shook his head. "Bloom, do you have any idea how many people would kill to visit that place?"

"Um…you from the sound of it."

"It's only _the_ go-to place for those who know about it."

"And how do you know about it?"

"I have my sources."

"Uh-huh." Bloom rolled onto her stomach. "I'm guessing being a prince has its advantages."

"More than you can count. But listen, I think I can get my parents to loan us the royal yacht for the trip. If they give the go-ahead we can invite the others to come along too."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Skye mimicked.

"So it's not just a private cruise for two?"

Prince Skye blushed. "Well…that is…if you want it to be. I thought that, you know, our friends would enjoy the trip is all…but that doesn't mean,"

The fairy could not help herself. She cracked up.

"What?" Skye asked her.

"You're blushing right now aren't' you?"

"No." He lied.

"Yes you are. I know you, Prince of Eraklyon." She sat up straight and crossed her legs Indian-style. "I'm sure the girls would love to go."

"Great. The guys will be happy to hear that."

"So you told them already?"

"Well the thing is that Riven was the one that suggested it."

"Really?" Bloom was shocked. "Riven? Our Riven? Mister Doesn't Know How to Have Fun, Riven?"

"The same." Skye looked around to make sure no one was listening in. He was alone in his dorm room as well. "You see we were on our way back and were talking. After everything that's happened with Lord Darkar and the Trix Sisters and the Realix, we all thought we could use a vacation. Out of nowhere Riven talked about a cruise. He was just throwing it out there but we all thought it would be a good idea."

"Well," Bloom started. "Tell Riven that it's a great idea."

"So we're on."

"Of course! Oh wait."

"What is it?"

"I should tell the girls about this. Maybe they all had plans already and it wouldn't be right to make this decision for them."

"I understand. Let them know and then get back to me tomorrow morning."

"Okay. I will."

"Great." Skye said. "Alright then, goodnight, Bloom."

"Skye."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

She smiled. "For being you."

The prince did not know what to make of it but he laughed anyway. "Sure. Night, Bloom."

"Night." She hung up.

A trip to outer space, she mused. She had been part of a magical world; a place where sorcery, not science, was the forerunner of society and culture. In all this she had forgotten that there was another world out there, one she had barely explored. Skye had taken her on a spaceship once when they went to Eraklyon. The trip was so short that she barely noticed. Here was an Earth girl who had never been to the Moon or Mars and here she was surrounded by people who traveled the stars on a constant basis. Space was open to her now and she never took advantage of it.

"Outer space." She said in a voice very close to awe. Her eyes lit up at the notion of it all. She was going to spend her summer vacation-or at least a part of it-in outer space. "I can't wait to tell mom."

A knock at the door disturbed her musings. "Yes?"

The door opened and Flora peeked her head in.

"Hey, Flora. Why are you knocking? This is your room too."

"I heard you talking and didn't want to intrude."

"You never intrude. We're roomies."

The fairy of nature stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She looked about as tired as Bloom was at that moment. All the celebrating after their victory over Lord Darkar exhausted both fairies to the point where they were just ready to crash. It bothered Bloom, after seeing her friend like that, that she just stayed outside when her cozy bed was waiting for her just so that she could have a private talk to herself. That was the kind of person Flora was. She always put everyone before herself.

"Are the others asleep?" Bloom asked.

"I guess so. I just saw Musa heading in and I said goodnight to Stella a moment ago."

"Okay." Bloom patted the spot beside her to invite Flora to sit down. She did and the two friends now spoke face to face.

"It's been some year hasn't it?" Flora asked.

"Yeah. So much has happened. It's almost like a dream."

"A dream?"

"These things that I've experienced are like nothing I could have ever imagined. Teenagers on my world only read about this stuff in storybooks or play them in videogames or write about them in fan fiction. (I just had to throw this in) Two years ago, if somebody told me that I'd be fighting witches and monsters and have wings and use magic I would have laughed in their face. Being with you guys has been the best time of my life. I hope we're together for a long time."

Flora smiled at her. "Well, sweetie, I don't see us parting ways anytime soon. So it looks like you have a lot more adventures to look forward to with us."

"What do you think our next adventure will be like?" Bloom asked.

"Don't know. But to be honest with you, I wouldn't mind just having an ordinary school year. No witches, no Under Realm and no monsters."

"I hear you." The Earth girl agreed. "Just homework and tests and boring old quizzes, right?"

"Well…not so much with the quizzes. They give me a headache."

"Same here."

The brunette smiled. "So, what are you going to do over the summer?"

"Funny you should mention that." Bloom said. She turned until her whole body was facing Flora directly. "What would you say about going on a space cruise?"

"Well that depends. What kind of a cruise are we talking about here?"

"Just with best friends and boyfriends aboard a royal yacht to one of the most beautiful spots in the entire universe."

"The Moons of Persephones?" She asked getting all excited. Being a fairy of nature, Flora had always dreamed of visiting those celestial moons which were rumored to have the most expansive rainforests and diverse variety of plants in the entire magical realm.

Bloom had to disappoint her. "No. The Denobulas Cluster."

"Oh." Her excitement vanished.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that…well there's not much to see in the Denobulas Cluster."

Bloom looked at her quizidly. "But Skye said it was beautiful."

"Oh it is. At least, that's what I've heard. But what I mean is that none of those planets are said to be habitable which means we'll be stuck on a ship the whole time. I like to get out and see things. Being holed up in a metallic vessel is not my idea of a good time."

"Oh but it'll be fun. I promise." Bloom held her hands. "Please, Flora. Skye is going to invite everyone to come along." She raised an eyebrow. "Including Helia."

The brunette's tanned skin turned a hint of red. "Well, we have promised to hang out together more often."

"We'll all go and have a great time. Just you wait."

"It's kind of sudden. I mean I was hoping to spend some time with my folks for a few weeks."

"It's not for the whole summer."

"Well…"

"Helia." Bloom said.

Flora gave in. "Okay. I guess I can go."

"Great!" Bloom exclaimed. "I can't wait!"

---

"So how'd it go?" Brandon asked Skye after entering the room.

The blonde gave him thumbs up. "She's all for it. Now she just has to convince the other girls to feel the same way and we'll have a full ship."

"Dude, Stella's in. No doubt."

"And what makes you so confident she'll go?"

"Because." Brandon removed his jacket. "She would never pass out an opportunity like this. The girl likes to have fun. Besides, she'd never let Bloom go anywhere all by herself."

"Don't get too cocky. I hear Stella can be pretty unpredictable."

"She's going. Trust me on this." Brandon went to his drawer and began pulling out clothes. "It's the other girls I'm worried about."

"How so?"

"Riven's not going unless Musa's in. That guy's got it bad, trust me on that."

Skye had to agreed. "Okay, what about Tecna?"

"She and Timmy will tag along if there's some scientific curiosity involved. That fact that nobody's really mapped the Denobulas Cluster should be enough to get their genius juices flowing. They'll probably spend the whole trip scanning planets and searching for extraterrestrial life."

"Flora?"

"Helia. 'Nuff said."

Skye laughed. "So we've covered everyone except Layla."

"The Tides Fairy? Dude, I don't know."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Last I've seen she's not the social type. I mean sure she's got Stella and the others but spending her entire time alone with people she just met a few months ago won't be easy on her."

"She'll manage. We're her friends."

"The girls are her friends, Skye." Brandon found a shirt he liked and closed the drawer. "I don't know if you've noticed but she's not all happy about being around guys. Probably thinks we try to outstand her or something?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"She's a tough girl. Athletic and independent. Boys don't usually fit into that persona. Especially guys like us." He turned to Skye. "Heroes. Boys who feel the need to save girls on every occasion. To someone like her that's like a blow to her feminine pride. She doesn't need a boy to rescue her. She looks after herself."

"Is this about that time we went to rescue the pixies?"

"That." Brandon admitted. "And the fact that she'll be the only one there without a boyfriend."

"That won't matter to her."

"Trust me, man. It _will_ matter." Brandon grabbed a towel and headed off. "I'm gonna hit the showers. Catch you later."

As his friend left, Prince Skye thought on his own. This trip was a big deal. He would be responsible for not only making sure his friends were having a good time but for their well-being as well. It would be the first time he had hosted anything like this. Everything would be on his shoulders.

Everything!

"Heh. Suddenly fighting Darkar doesn't seem so tough anymore."

Skye laughed it off. Now all he had to do was convince his father to loan him the yacht for a few days…


	3. Chapter 3

**Author: Some Girl Time.**

**---**

"So let me get this straight." Stella began. "Skye's renting out his parent's yacht to take us all on a cruise to one of the most romantic spots in the cosmos?"

"That's about the size of it." Bloom said.

"I'm in!" The blonde exclaimed. She turned to regard the rest of the group. "Come on, girls. What do you say?"

"I would hardly call the Denobulas Cluster romantic." Said the ever logical Tecna. "Its solar storms are quite dangerous and very unpredictable. You're just as likely to get caught up in one as you are taking in the scenery. Besides I have a great many activities planned over my vacation. I plan to attend the grand opening of Planet Binary's new Omnimatrix. Then there's a digital convention in my home realm that I don't plan to miss. Some of the greatest technological minds of our time will be present. It's a must for aspiring high-tech fairies such as myself."

Stella sighed. "Hey, Tecna, how about some recreation for your body for once. I think your brain can hit the snooze button for a few days and let the rest of you come and have fun with us."

"But I _was_ going to have fun."

"At a brainiac's convention? Were you raised by a laptop or something?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Bloom put a stop to this before it got out of hand. "Okay, guys. Let's take it easy."

Tecna _"hmphed_" and crossed her arms. She did not like being criticized for her tastes in recreational activity. Knowing Stella, which she did, the fashion-obsessed fairy was probably going to spend her entire vacation looking at pretty dresses and trying on fancy makeup. Honestly! It was that kind of stereotyping that blemished the image of the modern woman. It was girls like Stella that sent the Fairy Feminist Movement back a hundred years.

Stella on the other hand saw nothing wrong with embracing her female charms. She was smart and she knew it, but boys didn't go for the brainy types. Brandon respected her intelligence, she wouldn't be with him if he didn't, but Stella understood the male mind and good looks was essential in attracting the opposite sex. If nerdiness were an attraction, Tecna would have the boys bowing at her feet. Last Stella checked the scorecard; she had the technical fairy beat by a mile.

"I really think this will be a great way for us to hang out." Bloom went on. "I mean, when's the last time all of us were together for some R&R?"

"The Magical Resort." Layla told her. "You know when the witches sent those wild animals to take us out?"

"But that doesn't count. The boys were only there to protect us and we barley got to do anything together."

"Fine with me." The ebony girl said. "We didn't need them to have fun in the first place?"

"Just what's your issue with the boys anyway?" Stella asked her.

"Nothing. I just don't' think we need them to have a good time. Sides, whenever trouble comes along, we're the ones who have to pull their asses out of the fire."

"Can't argue with you there." Musa said.

"Hey come on. They've helped us out before." Flora said.

"Maybe as a distraction. But as heroes they're basically useless." Layla continued her berating.

Now Stella smirked. "Oh, I see what this is."

"What?" Layla asked.

"You're just jealous because you'd be the only one there without a boyfriend."

Layla got off the couch and confronted her. "Oh please! I don't need to justify myself through a man. That kind of shallowness is suitable for girls like you."

"SENS-A-TIVE." Stella quipped.

"Now, now." Musa said holding up her arms. She had been sitting on the floor between Layla and Stella in the first place so she was just in the right position to keep them apart. Luckily Bloom joined her to fortify the human barricade. "Come on, guys. Don't fight."

"That's right." Flora added. "This is supposed to be a time of bonding between us. So what if Layla doesn't have a boyfriend. She'll be among friends and that's all that matters."

Layla suddenly turned on Flora. "You too? You think I need a guy to enjoy myself?"

Flora gasped. "No! That's not what I meant. I mean…oh…" She went silent.

"Chillax, Layla." Musa finally stood up. Being the closest among them to Layla she would be the only one to calm her friend down. "Flo didn't mean it like that. What she's saying is you should be with your friends. It won't be the same if you don't come."

Layla turned her head to one side. "I…I don't know."

"Is there something wrong?" Tecna asked her.

"Come on!" Stella went on even as Bloom was signaling for her to stop. "It'll be a party. Sides, there should be some cute crewman on board."

"Stella!" The girls said at once.

"What?" The blonde asked.

"Forget it!" Layla stormed out of their dorm room.

"Great move, Stell." Musa said angrily. "Now she'll never come!"

"I'm just saying,"

"Shut it!" Musa followed her friend outside.

Bloom and the remaining girls regarded Stella with scolding eyes. "Stella, you can be very rude sometimes."

"I hurt because I care, darling."

---

Musa found Layla sulking in her bedroom. She knocked politely on the doorway. "Hey, can I come in?"

"Sure." Layla said though she hadn't even looked at her. She was sitting on her bed hugging her legs while staring off into space. Musa quietly sat down next to her and placed a hand on one knee. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"I know you don't mean that. Why don't you tell me what's really going on? Did what Stella say bother you that much?"

"No."

"Then what's buggin' you, girl?"

"I guess I'm still not used to having so many friends."

"I thought you got over that."

"I did." Layla sighed. "Who am I kidding? I just don't want to be a third wheel."

"Huh?"

"You know. You and the girls…and the guys…alone on a ship out in space with no parental supervision."

"So you are trippin' because of what Stella said."

"I guess. I was never good at hiding my emotions. Look," She finally addressed Musa on eye level. "I meant what I said. I don't need a guy to feel like I'm somebody important. But at the same time I've never had a boyfriend. I don't know what that kind of relationship is like. I've seen girls fight over a boy. They were best friends and now suddenly they're not talking anymore. Here I've been lucky enough to be blessed with five best friends, all of whom have met their significant others. To be stuck on a cruise ship while you and the girls are playing lovey-dovey with your fellas…I just feel there's no place for me there, you know?"

The music fairy took in everything her friend had said. Now that she understood what was bothering her she could finally put her worries at ease. "Look it's not like we're going to be doing anything R-rated or anything. It's still just puppy love."

"Puppy love?"

"Yeah. I mean, look at Riven. He's not exactly the romantic type. I care for him a lot and deep down inside I know he does too but we're still in the early phases of a relationship. If anything, he'll spend most of his time showing off Brandon and Skye; too busy to get down with me. That leaves a lot more time for us to chill." She nudged Layla playfully. "Come on, girl. You have to hang with us. All for one and one for all. Stella can talk all she wants she ain't gonna get any, if you get my drift."

"I always thought that was the girl's job."

"Brandon's no slut." Musa said.

They had a good laugh.

"Well…I guess it'll be alright."

"Cool." She hugged Layla. "Thanks, Layla."

---

It was late in the afternoon and the gang still had not convinced Tecna to join the party. The pink-haired fairy had decided to take a little stroll by herself to clear her head and to get some answers. She sought no conference with others; rather these were personal answers, ones to questions she had formulated a long time ago.

_Does everyone think I'm some sort of geek?_

_Is it wrong to enjoy the things I do?_

_Why can't they just accept me for what I am?_

_If they did, then they wouldn't be trying to coerce me into coming on this foolish trip._

She stopped just outside the walls to Alfea. "Not everyone likes to party all the time." She said aloud though no one was there to hear.

"Tecna." Flora appeared behind her.

"Hm? Oh it's you."

Flora did not like the way she said that. "I'm sorry. You want to be alone. I'll leave." She turned to go.

Tecna mentally kicked herself. "Flora, wait!" She reached out to her. "Forgive me. I did not mean it the way it came out."

The gentle fairy acknowledged. "Okay."

They walked together for a while. Bloom was still scolding Stella for her remarks earlier. Flora, not wanting to be a part in that discussion, went where she felt she would be most useful. She went to Layla's room but Musa already had that covered. So logically she went to find Tecna. She knew Tecna would occasionally stroll by herself when she needed to sort things out. Stella had gotten on her nerves in a very big way and Flora felt that it was up to her to see if she could help her friend come to terms, so to speak.

"I know what you're going to say." Tecna began. "Stella was just being stupid and I should not pay any attention to her."

"Well, 'rude' was the word I was going for but stupid is pretty close too."

But Tecna did not hear her and just went on. "It's not just her. Everywhere I go people are always telling me I need to get a life. What's life but what we make of it? So I'd prefer to spend my days in an internet café rather than on the beach. What's wrong with that? We're not all supermodels." She stopped, turned to Flora and said, "Don't ever tell Stella I referred to her in that manner, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded.

They walked once more. "I mean I have a great life. I have friends, an excellent grade point average, am receiving promising letters from some of the finest academies in the realms and I do, mind you, have a boyfriend. If that's not having a life well then I just don't know what is."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Timmy."

"What about Timmy?"

Flora was a bit hesitant but pushed. "Are you scared about being alone with him on the ship?"

"What?" Her face flushed. "Absolutely not!"

Hit the nail on the head, Flora thought. "You know, I'll bet Timmy's just as worried as you are. The boys are probably trying to coax him in going too. He likes you a lot, Tecna. I know you two have gotten more serious since our fight with Darkar but intimacy is still an issue isn't it?"

"I…I…I…I have no idea what you mean." She turned away.

"Don't be that way. Helia and I are the same way."

"You jest! I see the way you look at each other. One of these days we'll have to pry you two apart with a crowbar."

"We may be a bit more straightforward than you or Timmy but we're still very shy. I don't know what we're going to do being alone together."

"Well it's quite obvious actually. When young men and women share such close proximity to one another will no adult supervision the logical conclusion is," She stopped. Her mouth went wide open. "Oh!"

"Birds and the bees." Flora said.

Tecna fell to her knees on the lawn. Flora joined her and for many moments neither of them said anything. Tecna seemed to settle down after a while. A smile creased her delicate pale face as she came to a conclusion. "You know it's not like I haven't thought about it." She turned to Flora. "I'm a virgin, Flora. Did I ever tell you that?"

"Uh-uh. But if it makes you feel any better you're not alone."

Tecna nodded. "It does actually. You know, I'll bet the other girls are in the same boat we are."

"Funny choice of words."

"Yes. Ironic isn't it?"

"Are you afraid of what may happen if you and Timmy are alone?"

"Maybe. That kind of intimacy is rather unnerving to say the least. I've never gone after it. I'm the kind of person who waits patiently for something like that to happen. Now I may actually get the chance."

"You scared?"

"More like in denial. Tell you the truth I actually thought it might have happened when we were all on that resort planet. The boys were too disciplined to break their protocol, however. I remember on the way back to Alfea me thinking about what might have been. I actually considered it a lost opportunity."

"And now?"

"I still think I'd rather go to that convention than on a cruise. But this could be a once in a lifetime shot." Tecna leaned back her head to allow the last rays of sunlight to wash over her face. "I'm rather tired of lost opportunities."

"So does that mean you'll go?"

Tecna smiled. "Oh, all right. Can't have you hormone-driven lot go unsupervised can I?"

"Great!" Flora hugged her. "I can't wait to tell the girls."

"Me too." Tecna said. "Though I think I'll give that Stella a piece of my mind before we're through."

The fairies laughed together and far away the sun slowly sank into the horizon.

---

**Author: Whew! I need a break guys. The next chapter should be up in a few days so drop me a line and let me know what you think. Until next time, Winx fans!**


	4. Chapter 4

When the girls arrived at the Eraklyon spaceport, they were greeted by the royal guard who escorted them directly to the palace. Bloom and Flora had been there once before when they helped Brandon and Skye rescue Diaspro from the environmentalist group known as the Wrong Righters. For the rest of the girls, this was their first time in Eraklyon and for Princess Stella seeing the place where her love had grown up was a truly exciting prospect.

"There's the palace!" Stella exclaimed.

"We have eyes." Layla exasperatingly said. The princess hadn't shut her mouth since they had left Alfea and frankly she was getting on Layla's last nerves. Right now, Stella was looking outside the sunroof of their stretch limo. In the rush to get a view of the palace Stella has mistakenly stepped on Layla's sandaled feet and that got the ebony girl's ire up real quick. "Would you sit down? I don't want to be having to looking at your butt the rest of the way in."

Stella didn't hear Layla, or wasn't listening, for she spotted Brandon waving to her atop the third-floor window as they pulled in to a stop at the main entrance. "Hey, Snookums!" She blew him kisses.

Layla was all too pleased to get out and stretch her legs. "Finally." She bent back as far as her nimble body would allow, a display that had Tecna reeling at the sight of it.

"Doesn't that hurt?" She asked.

"No. Why?"

"It's just…never mind." Tecna dismissed it and made room for the other girls to exit the limo.

"So this is Eraklyon." Musa got her first good look at the place.

"It's as pretty as I remember." Flora said.

"Same here." Bloom added.

"Hey!" Brandon called from above. "Glad to see you girls made it. Hang on, I'll be right down." Never one to miss a chance to strut his stuff in front of a female audience, Brandon grabbed hold of one of the nearby banners hanging on the wall. He slid down until he reached the edge; from there he was a safe enough distance from the ground to jump and perform a flip over their heads and land neatly on the limo. Enacting one of his trademark poses, Brandon saluted them in a rather dashing fashion. "Welcome to Eraklyon, ladies."

"Snookums!" Stella rushed over to give him a big hug once he got down. "Did you miss me?"

"You bet. No man could survive too long without this pretty face." He cupped her chin in his hand.

"Aw." Flora swooned.

"Gag me." She heard Layla mutter.

"Skye's waiting for us inside. Come on, I'll show you around." With Stella in arm, Brandon led them into the palace.

Bloom was inherently a princess although she had been raised on Earth. She was unaccustomed to being in a palace and while she had visited Eraklyon before it still daunted her how massive royal abodes could truly be. The halls were wide enough to drive through and some of these rooms were big enough to hold her entire house. This was nothing new to Stella and Layla who grew up in palaces all their lives. While the other girls were all gawking, the two princesses walked as if they were right at home.

"And this is the training hall." Brandon took them to an arena-style room filled with weapons and a large mat placed on the floor. "Skye and I used to train here before we went to Red Fountain. The King and Queen used to raise all kinds of hell when a new bruise appeared on his perfect little face."

"But I'm sure Skye left his fair share of marks on you didn't he, Brandon?" Bloom asked.

"You'd be right about that. But we were pretty much even. Most of our fights ended in a draw."

"Looks like the one back in Tides." Layla picked up a fighting staff and with a few easy gestures had the weapon moving as if an extension of her body. "Care to go a few rounds?" She asked Brandon. "Best out of three. Come on."

But the boy wasn't having any of it. "I'm all done with training for the next few months. The only workout I'm raring to get is my tan and my throwing arm."

"It's not like you heroes to chicken out. I thought for sure you'd give me a few pointers."

Musa waved to Layla from behind the group. She shook her head and was telling her to stop but the princess seemed adamant about sparring. "What do you say, Brandon? You and me. Fairy against Specialist."

"Thanks but,"

"I promise to go easy on you."

"Ignore her, Snookums. She's just angsty because there she won't have anyone's arm to hold onto for the remainder of the trip."

Layla glared at Stella. "You look so _refined_ right now."

"I know." She pulled Brandon closer. "I know how to _accessorize_."

A tense moment between women. And poor Brandon was right in the middle of it.

Luckily Bloom intervened. "So…you said Skye was waiting for us. Let's not keep him waiting. What say you take us to him?"

"Sure." Brandon didn't really know what had happened-rather what almost happened-back there but let it past and led them out of the room. Layla placed the staff beside the door and followed and Musa was waiting for her. "What was that all about?"

"What? I just wanted him to show me some moves is all."

The music fairy sighed. "Look, girl, just because you're fuming with Stella doesn't mean you have to take it out on Brandon. He's a nice guy."

"I never said he wasn't."

"Then stop looking for a fight."

"Who said I was?"

"Layla." Musa spoke too loudly. She paused when a couple of the girls turned back so she smiled until they looked away. Once that was done, Musa whispered to Layla. "Just try to be nice, okay? We're going to have a good time so let's not spoil it."

"Fine with me." Layla didn't sound too convincing but Musa didn't push it. She loved the girl but Layla can be so stuck up sometimes. It's scary how similar she and Stella could be.

"Are the boys here too?" Tecna asked Brandon as he led them to the hangar.

"They got here yesterday. Last I heard they were running last minute checks on the yacht with Skye." He looked back. "Wait till you see it. Skye and Timmy did some remodeling before you got here and it's like she's brand new."

"She?" Stella solicited.

"_The_ _Queen Sparx_." The door before them opened giving the girls their first look at the _Queen_. She was a magnificent ship: half a mile long from stem to stern and with enough curves to give the most stoic designer reason to stare. She resembled a bird about to spread its wings which in fact were her twin engines, state of the art even for Eraklyon. Her hull was white with strands of silver crisscrossing her like laces. The hangar which berthed her look stale by comparison, its dull steel walls a mockery of the shimmering metal that comprised the _Queen's_ hull. The Winx Club stood in awe at the sight of her. Even Layla could not help but hang her mouth wide open.

"It's beautiful." Flora said.

"Yo…" Musa began but stopped.

"Very impressive." Obviously from Tecna.

"It's wonderful, Snookums." Stella leaned in a kissed him on the check.

"Hey, take it easy. It's not my ship you know."

"Um, Brandon." Bloom stepped toward him. "Did you say it was called _The Queen Sparx_?"

"Yeah."

"Why is that exactly?"

"You should know that, Bloom." Said a voice from above. Prince Skye stood on a hovering platform while leaning over the rail. "It's in honor of the princess of Sparx."

"Skye!"

The prince descended to the ground floor, the rail disappearing when it touched down. Immediately Bloom went rushing into his arms. "That's so sweet of you."

"Couldn't think of a better name huh?" Came Riven's gruff voice.

Musa spotted him quickly enough. He stood on a similar platform a ways off from the _Queen's_ engines. He had a smug look on his face and that curling brow that Musa had come to realize was all too sexy.

"Riven wanted to name it _The White Dagger_." Skye told them. "Such a romantic."

"Makes more sense." Riven said. "I mean Bloom's a princess, not a queen."

"She is in my world."

"Uh-huh." Riven made a "whipping" gesture with his hand before gearing his platform over to other end of the ship. "Nice to see you, girls. Hey, Musa."

Musa waved. "Sup?"

"Where's Timmy?" Tecna asked.

"And Helia?" Flora went.

"Inside. Hop on. I'll give you the grand tour." Once the group was on, Skye hit the lift on and they flew towards an open hatch on the ship. Taking the reigns from Brandon, Skye was now the guide and the girls became more impressed with each passing room. Each had their own likings; Stella was immediately taking in with the Sun Room while Layla fancied the gym. Flora enjoyed the garden with a glass ceiling to take in the solar rays and Musa was blown away by the stage where performers would put on shows for the Royal Family. Tecna made herself comfortable on the bridge; it was here where she found Timmy going over some diagnostics. She agreed to help him though it didn't take much prodding and it was safe to assume this is where she would be spending the majority of her time.

Skye took Bloom to her quarters situated not far from his own. Her bags had somehow beaten her there but living in a world of science and magic she learned that anything was possible. "This ship is amazing, Skye. You could live here all your live just traveling the stars and visiting planets for the rest of your life. I can't believe this is the lifestyle you live."

"The perks of royalty." Skye admitted. "Though it did take a bit of doing getting my dad to fork over the keys."

Bloom plopped on her bed which sent her flying upward. She flip-flopped around and loved every minute of it. Never had she experienced sleeping on a water bed before. It seemed things just got better and better. Once the bed settled down, she sat up. "When do we leave?" She was almost too excited to talk.

"Soon. We're just going through a few parameters and before we take off. Timmy and Tecna are going over the super computer. With those two working together we should be off by tomorrow."

"What's this super computer you mentioned?"

"State of the art. Everything's computerized aboard this ship. The system was just installed a few weeks ago when dad had it in for an overhaul. It's so advanced you don't even need a crew."

"You mean it's just going to be us? No adults?"

"We'll be on our best behavior of course." Skye smirked. "Don't worry, Bloom. I promise you we're going to have the time of our lives. We probably won't want to leave this ship when it's all over."

"Cool." She blushed a little bit. Being completely alone was exciting and a bit scary at the same time.

A beep alerted Skye to the intercom. _"Skye. It's Timmy. Can you come to the bridge a sec? There are a few things we need to go over with you."_

"On my way." Skye looked to Bloom. "I'll be right back. Make yourself at home. We'll have dinner on the promenade tonight."

"Kay."

Once he left, Bloom laid back down on the bed. She breathed out heavily as if the realization of all that was happening had just dawned on her. "No adults. No supervision. Guess it's best I leave that part out of my messages home."

---

The friends had dinner on the promenade where they were waited on by a small army of servants. The food was delicious, the delicacies ranging from across the magical universe and even other dimensions. Some of it fought back which made for some amusing entertainment. Timmy lost a duel to his salad while Stella's fork was eaten by her meatloaf. At least…it looked like meatloaf.

There were a lot of stories to share. Most of them were about their battle against Lord Darkar and the Trix Sisters. This circle of friends had been through a lot in the short time they knew one another and Bloom could not recall when she had felt so close to so many people. They laughed at all the tight spots they had been in and then they began making fun of the Trix's bad tastes in clothing. The Winx Club told the story of their time at Cloud Tower during the exchange program. Skye and the boys recalled preparing for the reopening ceremony of Red Fountain. Some even told personal stories, like Musa's episode with her father or Tecna investigating the previous whereabouts of Professor Avalon.

Bloom enjoyed hearing them all, particularly the guys because she didn't know all the crazy adventures they shared. The tales of their freshman year were especially incredible. Who knew they faced so much before they had even met the Winx Club?

Skye tapped his glass. "My friends. A toast." All raised their glasses. "Too good friends both old and new. To new adventures and a lasting friendship that will see us through all of them."

"To music!" Musa said.

"Fashion!" Stella said.

"Being together!" Bloom said.

"To shutting up and having dessert!" Riven quipped. "Salud!" He drank up.

"Toast!"

"Kampai!"

"Down the Hatches!"

They all drank.

Bloom suddenly remembered. "And to having a great trip!"

"Too late Bloom."

"What?" She asked Skye.

"You have to say all your wishes before the toast. Otherwise it's invalid."

"Well that's doesn't make sense. A wish should come true regardless of whether it was before or after a toast."

"Doesn't work that way." Riven said.

"Oh be quiet." Musa ruffled his hair. He didn't like that.

"Like I said." Bloom raised an empty glass. "To having a great trip!"

The glass gleamed. She had made a wish on an empty glass. That was never a good thing to do…

---

**I really thought I could have done that better but it turned out alright. Safe to say the stage is set for the disaster to begin! I don't drink that much but even I know it's not wise to wish upon an empty glass. Just some advice for those of you who've yet to experience it. Also don't eat yellow snow and don't spit into the wind. Bye for now.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author: Funny how I never dreamed this story would be this successful. The irony is, like the gang is about to find out, that things don't always turn out the way you expected them to. Many thanks to PhoebeTheQueenofDragons, LadyNightSky, angelgrl31392, Musa Rox, Chibi Horsewoman and Lunariagirl33 for your kind-and corrective-reviews. "White" has been worth it only because of readers like you!**

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Prince Skye awoke at the sound of the doorbell. "Hold it." His weary voice announced. The dinner party had gone long into the night and the prince had a few too many for his liking. Oh he wasn't overly drunk, far from it; spending time with young warriors like those of Red Fountain had trained him in the proper consumption of alcohol, but it was enough to make him wish he didn't have so many things to be grateful for. Every toast was for good wishes and happiness. How his head throbbed with "happiness."

"I'm coming." He massaged his temple as he made his way to the door. When he opened it he found Timmy on the other end.

"Afternoon, Skye."

"Timmy." The prince looked him over. As always, the young genius was a picture of tidiness. His hair was combed, his shirt buttoned up with collar neatly embracing his thin neck, pants neatly pressed, shined shoes and a face so bright it made Skye watery just to look at it. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to know if you wanted some lunch. The waiter bots have already set up the table and everyone's gathering in the dining room."

"Lunch? But it's only…wait, did you say afternoon?"

Timmy nodded. "You overslept, Skye. We thought about waking you but the crew agreed that the ship's captain should have his rest. Besides, you drank more than any of us. I'm surprised you were able to make it to the door and not have me come in and get you."

"But I'm perfectly fine." Skye told him. He watched as Timmy slowly but surely leaned his head to the side as if looking at him diagonally. "What?" Come to think of it, Skye thought, Timmy did look a bit strange standing the way he did. It was almost as if he was standing sideways. Now he was looking Skye on the same level. "How'd you," Skye's mind woke up at the moment, as did his legs muscles which were so laxed that he had been standing in the doorway like a hunching zombie. He quickly composed himself and was glad that Timmy did not crack a smile. It would have been downright embarrassing had Bloom or any of the other girls had seen him like that, too wasted to stand up straight.

"Okay, so I need a shower. Tell the others I'll be out soon."

"You know, Skye, there are pills that will help you sober up much faster than a shower."

"I'd prefer it this way. I was never much for pharmaceuticals." He backed up, or thought he did, when all it meant was that he was falling over. He straightened himself out with Timmy's help whom he used for leverage. "I'll be fine, Timmy. Thanks for waking me. Let the gang know that their captain is just pulling himself together and will be good to go before we get the ship underway."

"Um…we're already underway."

"Huh?"

Timmy shook his head. "You said we were to leave by morning. It's afternoon, remember. Tecna and I set the ship off a few hours ago. We're already in deep space."

Skye boggled his way toward the window where the shades were pulled down. He pressed a button to have them recede and found a sea of stars flying past him. "We're in space?"

"This is a spaceship." Timmy said.

The prince groaned. He had really better get himself together lest he become the laughing stock of the trip. No doubt Riven would tear into him, Stella may get in a few jabs and that Layla girl…she didn't respect men enough as it was. Seeing him now would only lower her opinion of males even further.

"Damn. Look, Tim, tell the others I'm going to take a shower and will join them soon enough."

"You told me that already."

"I did?" Skye's mind went blank for a moment. Then he remembered. "Right, I did. Though I might take a long shower. Say, don't we have pills that'll sober me up faster?"

"You told me you don't like using those."

"Oh yeah." Skye staggered a moment.

"Go take you shower, Skye. And take as much time as you need. You are the captain afterall. Tec and I can handle things for the next couple hours."

"I'll do that." Skye shook his head as if that would somehow sober him up but all it did was dizzy him. He made it to the bathroom. "See you soon, Skye." He heard Timmy say before closing the door. Skye looked himself over in the mirror. God, was that him? He looked terrible. "Idiot." He told himself. For a prince to behave in such a manner was bad enough, but alone with his friends? He was supposed to set an example. To lead by _example_! "Get your act together, prince." He said. "Computer, shower, warm." The faucet activated and the glass doors slid open. Groaning despite his vow to clean up, Skye began to strip. As soon as he entered the shower he wasn't sure he'd ever come out.

---

Timmy joined Tecna on the bridge after delivering Skye's message. He found the brilliant fairy at the main console, a map of the general area displayed before her. On the map was a white triangle representing the _Queen_. A red line depicted their course toward a dense collection of stars and special anomaly. "So how's the captain?" She asked without turning around.

"A little worse for wear but otherwise okay."

"Did he need your help getting into the bath?"

Timmy's face flustered so much he blurted out his next sentence. "He didn't need…I mean…I wasn't going to…why would I," At least he tried to.

Tecna looked at him rather confused. "What is wrong? I only asked you a simple question."

Timmy immediately realized that Tecna's inquiry was strictly professional. She was only concerned for Skye's well being, not making the kind of remark someone like Stella or Musa might ask. His manhood was not questioned. He could relax. "Nothing. And no he made it to the bathroom on his own so I turned and left."

"Good." Tecna returned to her station.

Timmy felt embarrassed for acting the way he did but it was a defense mechanism. He had been criticized too much in his life not to take a question like that a bit personal. Tecna didn't even realize what she did, nor did she have any reason to be apologetic had she so offered. If he would have any chance with this girl, he would need to loosen up.

He joined her side by side. They remained quiet for a few moments before the specialist asked her a question. "You hungry?"

"I had a croissant with coffee before I came up here. You?"

"Just orange slices." He chuckled. "Funny how we can function so efficiently on such meager nourishment."

"We have too much to do. Had we not turned in late we each could have had a much better breakfast. Now we must make sure all systems are running at optimal levels for the safety and pleasure of our friends."

"You know, Tec, this whole ship is run by computers. It doesn't require our full attention all the time."

"I really don't mind. Besides, I enjoy tinkering with new machinery." She looked at him. "Don't you?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now help me recalibrate the thrusters. They've been acting funny since we left Eraklyon and I don't want to take any chances. Probably meant to travel within atmospheric levels. Half the parts of this ship weren't made for deep-space ventures."

"Kay." Timmy took his station. Working with such an advanced piece of hardware did excite him, though being with Tecna was far more enjoyable. He just wished he knew a way to convey that to her.

---

"Sleep well?" Brandon asked as he pulled up a chair beside his girl.

Stella smiled at him. "Like a babe."

"You partied real heavy last night."

"Sweetheart, you don't know how hard I can party. Why, the bashes I throw at the palace have become legend realm-wide. Even the New Solar Year's Day Festival pales in comparison."

Brandon had a peak into her cup. "Tea?"

"Mint." She answered. "Something I brought along for the trip. Freshens the breath after eating a hero sandwich."

"Got enough for two?"

"For you, Snookums, anything."

Behind them, Helia was showing Flora one of his latest drawings. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful."

"But?" Helia began sensing she was holding back.

"Well…what is it exactly?"

Helia came to understand. "Oh that's right .You've never been there. This is what the sunrise looks on Knossis. It's a moon orbiting a gas giant so it rarely receives any sunlight. Once a year, when the sun does rise, the moon's crystalline surface begins to glitter like a thousand suns. Quite painful to the eyes if you don't have the proper protection, but to witness it is like seeing a symphony of light so profound that no Borealis on any planet could possibly compare."

She was hanging on his every word. When Helia spoke it was like music to her ears. He was kind, artistic, brilliant, handsome and wise beyond his years. It was a pleasure just being in his company. Every time he looked at her she felt giddy all of a sudden. This puppy love was fast turning into something else. "Sounds wonderful. Will you take me there one day?"

"Of course."

Riven was stuck with three girls. Normally a guy's fantasy except that one girl couldn't care less if he was there, another one was too busy thinking about someone else, and the third, the one he wanted attention from more than anybody else, was too busy trying to keep the first girl happy.

So now the red-haired youth was stuck listening to something he really hated: girl talk.

Musa was laughing at the moment. "That's so funny." She told Layla. Now she turned to him. "Isn't it, Riven?"

"Uh-huh." He said though had barely been paying attention.

"So you got the joke?" Layla asked.

"Uh-huh."

"You like hanging with us?"

"Uh-huh."

"Riven, Musa's on fire."

"Uh-huh."

"Typical." Layla rolled her eyes.

Musa placed a hand on his knee. "Something bothering you? Was it something we said?"

"No. Just thinking is all."

"About what?"

_Like what possible interest could I have with Layla wearing the wrong shoes at a dancing competition?_ "Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Girlfriend stuff?" Layla asked.

Musa grinned. "Are you really thinking about me?"

_Endlessly. Now ditch the tomboy and let's get out of here._ "No."

"I think he wants some alone time." Layla said. "You should hang with him before he explodes."

"I'm not exploding."

"Yet."

"Whatever."

"Whatever."

Musa looked from girlfriend to boyfriend. "Guys…everything alright?"

"Fine with me." Layla said.

"Couldn't be happier." Said Riven.

"Ooookay." Musa turned to Bloom who looked a bit out of it. "Say, Bloom, want to hear a new rap I thought up when I was showering?"

The ship's namesake looked at her. "Sorry, Musa. I'm just worried about Skye. He didn't look too well last night."

"How would you know?" Riven muttered. The girls thought he said something but when they looked at him he just turned away whistling.

"I'm sure he's cool, Bloom." Her eyes brightened up a moment afterward. "In fact, there he is now."

Prince Skye walked into the dining room and stopped when all eyes fell on him. "I know, I know." He blushed and made his way to the nearest available seat. A mechanical servant, basically a hovering ball with arms, poured him a cup of coffee and asked what he wanted to eat. "Just a sandwich is fine. Anything." He answered and it left. Bloom went over to him. "Hey, Skye. You feeling better?"

"I'll live. How about you? Everything unfuzzy?"

"Like a widescreen television." She scanned his face. "Your eyes are red."

"Rough night." Riven said from across the room.

"Try some mint tea." Brandon told him. "Sobers you right up."

"A prince is always sober." Riven said. "Ain't that right, Skye."

"Not now, Riven." Bloom told him.

"Don't worry about it." Skye drank his coffee hungrily and waved over a servant to pour him some more. He watched the stars go by through the great window providing the occupants with a marvelous view. "I'll be fine."

"Good." Bloom rubbed his shoulders.

The intercom came alive again. _"Skye, can you come up here real quick. There's something you need to see."_ Timmy said.

"Be right there."

"I'll go with you." Bloom and Skye walked out of the room together. "I wonder what Timmy wants to show you."

"Nothing major I imagine. The area we're going to is a secluded part of space. Not much happens here and even if something did," He looked at her. "It's nothing we can't handle."

---

**What do you guys think? Too long or too short?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the wait. A warning there is some vulgarity in the second half of this chapter. Bad language, you see. Just a heads up.**

---

"Yes sir, I understand your concerns. If you'll bare with us a moment…no…I understand, but…please…if you'll just let me explain…he's on his way…the captain, yes…please stop yelling at me." Tecna was all too relieved when she heard the lift doors open. "He's just arrived, Mister Icaran." She said over the com. "If you'll stop your bellowing I will gladly put him on and you can tell him your story yourself. What…yes…" She looked exasperatingly at Skye, her eyes asking what took him so long. She had about all she could take from the unpleasant fellow on the other end of the line. Granted her social skills lacked finesse but this gentleman was just plain rude!

"I'm putting the captain on right now. I know…yes, he did…well here he is." She hastily pulled off her earpiece and handed it over to Skye who was about to ask her what was going on but stopped when the fairy raised her hand. "His name is Mister Icaran and his ship is stranded. Take it from there." Tecna returned to her duties at the main console leaving Skye to deal with this Icaran all on his own. From the sound of it, their previous conversation did not go over well and Skye wondered if he was about to get an earful.

"Talk to him, Skye." Bloom said from behind him.

The prince shrugged and put on the earpiece. "This is the captain of _The Queen Sparx_ speaking." His chest puffed at the proclamation. "How may I assist?"

"_You can cut the formal bullcrap and get my ass out of the frying pan! THAT'S how you can assist!"_

Skye winced at the sharp remark, loosing his calm demeanor in the process. "Excuse me? Who is this?"

"_Icaran! Icaran, goddamit! It's an easy name to remember."_

"I told you his name." Tecna said without looking back.

"_I've been stuck out here for three weeks; my air's running out, I'm low on supplies and my cargo's probably so outdated that I'll be lucky enough to get a meal ticket out of it! Now that that's out of the way, how about you come get me before I become a permanent spec on the face of the universe?"_

"Mister Icaran, please calm down. If you'll just give us your location we'll head right on over to you as quickly as possible."

"_I already GAVE you my location. That damned female said she couldn't make any course corrections without the captain's approval. That's you, dumbass!"_

Skye winced again. "She did?"

"_Yes! I don't what state of mind you were in to put a woman at the helm, but she's been giving me the runaround with time I don't have. Don't you know it's standard procedure to aid a vessel in distress?"_

"Actually we're a cruise liner not a rescue ship."

"_I don't care if you were a tugboat! Just get me out of here or so help me my ghost will haunt you the rest of your life!"_

"Alright, alright. Tecna," The fairy acknowledged him. "Set course for Mister Icaran's vessel. Maximum speed."

"ETA eight minutes."

"We're on our way, Mister Icaran. Please stand by."

"_Stand?"_ The man laughed. _"Buddy, don't take this the wrong way but you're an idiot!"_ He signed off.

"What a jerk!" Skye angrily pulled off the earpiece. "Where does he get off being like that?" He turned to Timmy who up to this point had been quietly running a ship's diagnostic. "Why couldn't we see him on the screen?"

"Communications must be damaged. All we could get was audio and even then only through a thin, personalized frequency. Hence the earpiece."

Skye knew it was his duty and his obligation to help those in need, but gods how some people didn't deserve to be saved! Even Riven had more manners than this guy and he had been a pain in the ass since freshmen year. Speaking of which, perhaps his red-headed friend would enjoy the company of someone so much like himself. He didn't look too happy in the dining room earlier today and maybe this would help his attitude. "Timmy, tell Riven to meet me in the hangar. Prepare emergency rescue procedures and have the maintenance robots ready to make repairs on Icaran's ship. Also, have a med unit meet us down there too. He might be in need of medical assistance."

"You're taking this very professionally, Skye." Bloom said.

"That's why he's in charge." Timmy said it in all honesty. Skye was a natural leader, albeit a bit gullible at times but there was no one else he'd rather serve under. Well, there was Tecna but in that regard "serve under" had a completely different meaning.

The prince/captain turned towards the lift. "This is only a small detour." He said as the doors opened. "Going down, Bloom?"

"Not yet. I've always wanted to see the bridge in action. Maybe Tec and Tim can show me how everything works."

Tec and Tim exchanged not so happy looks. So much for personal time.

---

"What a piece of shit." Riven said getting his first glimpse of Mister Icaran's ship. It resembled something of a crumpled up tin can with wings and an engine. He swore he made more impressive feats of engineering in shop class and that was _before_ he knew how to use a blowtorch. His sneer was evident and he did not bother look friendly as the back of the ship opened up, leveling a ramp to the ground.

"Crummy ship for a crummy guy." Skye was standing beside him and wasn't too happy either. He didn't like people with attitude; the guy next to him understood that, which is why he so readily agreed to come after Skye gave him the heads up. Fight fire with fire, as the saying went. "Let me do the talking."

"What a piece of shit!" Said an angry voice. "I've created more impressive things in my lavatory."

Did he just insult the _Queen_?

Patience, Skye! Patience!

"Welcome aboard the _Queen Sparx_. I'm Prince Skye of Eraklyon. Captain. This is my associate, Riven."

_Associate?_ Riven thought. _Thought I was your goddamed bodyguard._

The maintenance robots were already busy attending to the various abrasions on the hull of his ship. They also went about refueling, patching and replacing any missing parts. When Skye and Riven approached the ramp, Mister Icaran was there to greet him. All that was left of him. The two youths paused for a moment. They saw something that hey had only read about but never witnessed. With medical technology the way it is today, not to mention magic-_hello!_-neither could have been prepared for what they saw. Mister Icaran was in a hoverchair. His body, from the waist down, was gone, fully integrated into the vital machine. Only his head, arms and torso remained.

And that wasn't much to look at either. His face had seen more than its fair share of fights resembling that of a bleached prune with ugly red and purple spots. His nose was almost nonexistent, just a flat flab of skin between two large, gray eyes. His ears were the only part that seemed normal. Perfectly rounded and jutting out beside a wide forehead.

He wore dirty green overalls that were stained with oil and covered in sweat. His whitening hair beaded with it and one can only wonder what human being could have survived so long in tight confines with an odor like that hanging off you. His large gloves were tattered and torn but far be it from him to get new ones. In his line of living, you made things last as long as they could. In truth he was only in his late fifties but anyone seeing him for the first time would easily count him as a stone's throw from the grave.

"The hell you looking at?"

"Half a man." Riven said sharply.

"Which is more than you'll ever be." He retorted.

"How you figure?"

"Son, I can tell you've never touched a woman before in your life. Same goes for your so-called captain."

"Now see here,"

Riven stopped Skye with an outstretched hand. "And what would you know of women?"

"By the time I was your age I pulled down more panties than you will in your life. And that's when I was a whole man."

"I guess your hands are all the company you keep now, huh? Oh wait. They have nothing to work with now, do they?"

"You should ask your mother."

"Well that's too bad. See, while you were having sex with old ladies, I dug up your mom's grave and sold her corpse to the Yoshinoya Crime Syndicate where they removed her eyeballs and jammed them into her various orifices while catching it all on tape and then posting it on the Net for the world to see."

"Your mom was still more fun."

"Yeah, but at least her son still has his pride between his legs."

"You can kiss my ass."

"Where ever it is."

Prince Skye stayed out of the line of fire during the exchange. It was when they stopped, giving the other murderous glares, did they come closer and Skye feared a fight was going to happen. He went to prevent just that when the two exploded into laughter and gave hardy handshakes. So confused was the prince that he was frozen with his arms halfway to grab the two of them.

"Riven." He introduced himself.

"Icaran." He returned. "Nice to see a friendly face after all this time."

"Likewise. So," He stopped back. "This is your ship huh? Type 29?"

"Good eye. Not many would recognize being all banged up and all. She still flies though and that's good enough for me."

"Modified?"

"V-12 engines. Had 'em installed before I left port."

"Sweet. Where you headed?"

"Miran. You?"

"Denobulas."

"Nice place."

"You think so?"

"Dangerous though."

"I'm a specialist."

"Me too. Herculam, '74. You?"

"Red Fountain. Sophomore."

"Pussies."

"We get those too."

They had a good laugh.

Skye looked from one to the other. "Um…what just happened here?"

"A friendly exchange." Riven explained. He turned to Icaran. "Come on. I'll show you where you can get a hot meal."

"Mighty kind of you. Wish I could repay the favor."

"A good story or two."

"Sounds fair. Ever been to the Under Realm?"

"A couple times."

"That Darkar fellow still there?"

"Dead."

"Serious?"

"Flash of light. Boom!"

"Too bad. He played a good game of cards." Riven led him out the hangar and it was just Skye and the maintenance bots. A medical robot hovered over to his location. "Pardon, sir. Medical unit reporting as ordered. Are there any medical emergencies to attend?"

"No."

"No lacerations or serous wounds?"

"No."

"Minor injuries?"

"No."

"Any fatalities?"

"Yeah. The art of conversation."

---

**Short, I know.**


	7. Chapter 7

**There comes a time when a writer just loses his train of thought and a good piece of fiction winds up at the back of his files. That happens to me a lot lately. How do you guys deal with writer's block?**

**Now where were we...?**

**---**

Icaran received a rather lukewarm welcome when he first arrived in the dining room. Lack of personal hygiene often left a bad first impression and when the gang got their first "whiff" of their new arrival they cleared a path to the table so fast that Icaran mistook their actions as a sign of respect for their elders.

Stella and Flora hid behind their respective boyfriends while Musa and Layla simply cringed to one side of the room. The only one there who seemed happy to have Icaran as a guest was Riven himself. In their short walk up here the two found out they had a lot in common.

Riven laughed aloud at a comment Icaran made; the two shared a morbid sense of humor, seemingly about a past girlfriend who tried to take something that didn't belong to her. "She'll never put her hands there again, I'll tell you that much!"

Riven brushed back a tear. Man, this guy was a riot.

"Riven." Musa took a few cautious steps toward them. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh yeah. Guys, this is Icaran. He's a freighter pilot outbound for Miran. His ship was stranded and our captain was kind enough to give him a ride."

"Boy's not old enough to shave and he's the gall to call himself a captain. If you ask me he's not enough hair down there to warrant himself a man."

Everyone in the room gawked, their chins nearly hitting the floor, when they heard that comment. Riven on the other hand was actually nodding his head. "He's pretended to be one most of his life. But he's a pretty good guy once you get to know him."

"And how long have you known him?" Icaran asked.

"Long enough to know he's never had a woman until recently."

"So he's still a cherry?"

"Plump!"

"Bwahahahahaha!"

Riven would have laughed but a stern arm grabbed him and pulled him aside. Musa would not have him talking about Skye like that. What kind of friend would she be had she allowed it? "What the hell is wrong with you?" She angrily whispered so that only he could hear. "How could you let him say those things about Skye? I thought you were his friend."

"It's just harmless male bonding."

"Male bonding? You never talk to the guys like that."

"Skye wanted to open up friendly communications with this guy so he asked me to come along. He figured if anyone would be able to speak with him it would be me and it turns out he was right. We're on a level playing field, he and I. He trusts me and as such I'll be able to keep him out of trouble." He gently removed her hand from his shoulder.

"That one yours?" Icaran had noticed the way Musa treated him. Standard girlfriend procedure.

"Yup."

"Nice catch."

"Thanks."

"Kind of skinny though."

"She's filled out in all the right places."

Musa's face turned beat red. Suddenly she had become completely self conscious and she hated Riven for making her feel that way. He turned to her. "What? I just paid you a compliment."

"Riven…" Musa growled menacingly.

"And a fiery one at that. Got your hands full with that one." A smirk appeared on the freighter pilot's face. "Or does she?"

Riven was the first to pick up behind the meaning of that question and he couldn't help but laugh all the louder. "She'll attest to that."

"I know what I'll attest to." Musa began finally understanding what it meant. "That you're a real son of a bitch!" The music fairy turned and stomped out the room.

"Dammit." Layla went to follow. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?" She passed Riven on the way and into the hall.

I'll make it up to her later, Riven thought.

"So, Mister Icaran." Brandon who had been silent during the whole exchange finally said. He momentarily glared at Riven and promised the two would have a talk in the near future about defending a woman's honor. For now his first hurdle was this obnoxious and irritating man in the hoverchair. "Just how did your ship get stranded all the way out here?"

"Plasma storm, boy. Quite common around these parts. My 29 took a beating but it ain't nothing I couldn't handle. Shit! After what this ol' body of mine's been through there ain't nothing that can scare the pants off of me."

"Wherever they are." Riven quipped.

"Tell your mother I want em' back."

Another roar of laughter.

Brandon, Stella, Flora and Helia could not believe what they were hearing. What kind of dialogue was this to be having among friends? Brandon in particular was in shock as he'd never seen this side of Riven before. Sure he could be a jerk sometimes but damn! And poor Musa. It would take a forgiveness spell the likes of which have never been seen to win back her heart.

"Excuse us." Helia said as he escorted Flora out of the room. They were insulted enough and they had not even been the topic of ridicule the entire conversation!

"Brandon, honey." Stella tugged his arm. "Let's go."

"Gladly. Riven," He said. "I'll talk to you later."

This'd better be worth it, Riven thought as his last two friends left the room.

Alone, Riven could now get down to the nitty-gritty of it all. He pulled out a chair and sat down informally, with his chest toward the back of the seat and his legs hanging from either side. "Help yourself." He motioned to the small monitor at the foot of the table from which they used to order food and beverages. "We have a wide selection."

"After eating nothing but space rations for a few weeks even dragon shit would taste good right about now." Icaran pushed a button and looked over the menu. "Ah, this one takes me back." He placed his order and after waiting a few minutes a servant robot came flying in with a warm tray that consisted of some type of meat, peppers and noodles, slices of onions and a bottle of the ship's finest wine. They talked a little while Icaran ate. Riven could almost feel sorry for the bastard as he looked like he hadn't had a proper meal in a long time. Sure he had been rude to his friends, his girlfriend, his "captain" though he'd never let Skye hear him say that, but he saw a part of himself in this man. This is what Riven would turn out to be had it not been for the guys. Icaran was carrying a lot of anger in him. He was lonely, a feeling Riven knew all too well, and he had been hurt so many times it was hard to trust again. Insulting others was the only way he knew how to communicate, but it was also a defense mechanism, a way to keep people from getting too close.

_Were you like me in a past life?_

Once he had his fill Riven decided it was time to get some answers. "So where are you really headed?"

"Hm?" Icaran sloppily wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his oil-stained shirt.

"Miran is a long ways off the trading routes in this sector. Even with V-12 engines it would take a good six months to get there from the nearest star. Your ship, even with all it modifications, isn't equipped to make that kind of voyage. You'd have run out of fuel, supplies and air long before you reached Miran." His voice became deep, almost accusational. "Who are you smuggling for? A syndicate? A rebel faction? Terrorists?"

Suddenly Icaran's visage had changed. It wasn't the same unfriendly face he wore when he first boarded the ship. This one as far more dangerous. More dark. More sinister.

But Riven did not back down for an instant. He had faced men like him all his life. Growing up on the streets one could not help but bump across these guys who would cut your throat in an instant. Icaran was no ordinary pilot. Hell, he looked as if he traveled through the realm of Hades and stopped by the Under Realm to pick up some donuts before making a pit stop at the Omega Dimension. This man was hard. Seriously!

The man's face did soften up just a bit. "You know men have died for asking the wrong questions."

"Men have also died for giving the wrong answers." The specialist shot back. "In case you haven't noticed this is _my_ ship."

"_Your_ ship?"

"I've worked on her for the past several days. I'd lose sleep making sure she was in top shape before leaving port. Like your 29, it may not have built by me in the first place but I've left enough of a mark on her to let anybody know that she's mine and mine alone. She's still running because of me and unlike our so-called captain I didn't fix her up just to impress my girlfriend. I put my heart and soul into making the _Queen_ something worth being proud of. I'm sure you of all people could understand that."

The pilot had to admit he did.

"Now the fact of the matter is." Riven tapped one finger on the head of his chair as he spoke seemingly to emphasize his point. "We saved you. Your ship could have been stranded out there forever and nobody would have ever known you existed. That's how things work in the underworld isn't it? You die, nobody knows ya. But I do. I used to run errand boy for some assholes back at home who believed in that sick creed. If you ask me guys like that aren't worth dying for. Now I won't tell you how you should live your life, that's your own business. But some straight answers would be appreciated for our trouble."

Icaran looked Riven over. It's funny, he thought, when I look at him I see myself. Was I ever that young? That naïve? That brave?

A look of respect and envy came over Icaran at that moment. "You're alright kid." He said before taking the bottle of wine and having a swig. Icaran offered it to Riven who turned him down politely. "Good. This stuff will kill you. Just ask my liver."

"And where is that?"

"With my pants."

"In my mother's bedroom."

Icaran chuckled. "No. Probably at some organ sale in the Black Market." He sighed. "The stuff I've got carries a minimum penalty of fifty years if you're caught with it."

"Go on."

"What do you know of the Numibian War?"

Riven reviewed his history. "I know it claimed the lives of over a billion people."

"Six billion actually. You see when the war broke out; both sides had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction that had accumulated into an arsenal of pure genocide. Oh they used conventional arms at first, but when things started looking bleak for one faction it turned to its most destructive means of persuasion and then," He paused for a moment. "They blew it up."

"'And the sky fell upon us in a sea of fire. The world we knew had ceased to be for the gates of hell had opened up and the Devil danced upon the bodies of the dead'". Riven remembered that passage from a book about a man who had survived the war. His account of the sheer destruction was so realistic that Riven could almost feel the flames licking at his skin and the stench of death in the air. "_When the Sky Burned_, by Lysander Huxley."

"Have a copy of it on my ship." Icaran went on. "One of the key materials used in those weapons is something called oblivium. Have you heard of it?"

"Only that it's very volatile. I know that demolitionists sometimes use it to clear away land or rubble."

"Good for wiping out entire civilizations too. 'In a single day and night of fire, the world went black and what was left wasn't worth burying'". He recited another verse from Huxley's novel. "The entire planet was destroyed in the blink of an eye. Only a mere handful of survivors lived long enough to be rescued. Their stories would haunt generations to come."

"And from that day forward oblivium was outlawed by the Interplanetary Government and the Magix Council."

"In hopes the atrocities of Numibia would never be repeated again."

Riven seemed about ready to jump out of his chair after his eyes lit up. "Are you telling me you're carrying oblivium in your ship?!"

"Not exactly."

Now Riven shot up. "How much?"

"Forty stellograms."

"What the hell is wrong with you? Had a plasma storm destroyed your ship and ignited the oblivium it would have been enough to create a small star. The explosion would have destroyed any ship in the immediate vicinity. Including us!"

"It's more unstable in space I grant you that." Icaran reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar. "Something about the lack of oxygen starting a chain reaction that builds up the energy to incalculable proportions." He lit the cigar with his finger which Riven realized was metallic and served as a lighter. After one good puff, Icaran regarded Riven apologetically. "I'm sorry if this changes your opinion of me, Riven. But a man has to make a living."

"If you think I'm just going to allow you off this ship with that kind of cargo,"

Icaran raised a hand to silence him. "Shut up, dumbass, and let me finish. Remember that oblivium has to be mixed in with certain chemicals in order to achieve the same destructive capability it has in the vacuum of space. As you said, demolitionists use it all the time and in small doses under a controlled environment it can prove quite beneficial. But there are those who believe it to have other properties as well." He stopped to let what he said sink in and once he was sure he had peaked his interest Icaran began to elaborate. "Not every realm is as well off as Eraklyon or Solaria. Disease runs rampant on some worlds where millions of people die each year. The nature of oblivium is to consume, hence its name, so why not use it to _consume_ the very illnesses that plague the lives of so many people?"

"You mean to tell me your buyer was going to use it for medical purposes?"

"You could say that. However, giving the illegal nature of the material there are only a select few places in the universe where its study is allowed. But those things take time and people won't stop dying. So secret clinics have sprung up on isolated worlds. But with oblivium so hard to come by their research has not progressed well."

"So how did you get your hands on forty stellograms of it?"

"I found an untapped source."

Riven could not believe what he had just heard. "Where?"

"On a small snowball of a planet not far from here. The planet's surface is littered with it."

"Then why hasn't the Mining Consortium picked up on it?"

"Because it's buried deep within a nebula, a rather dangerous one too. A friend of mine stumbled onto it while trying to lose the authorities inside the cloud. He said there was enough oblivium on that rock to cause a thousand Numibian Wars."

"Which is why you're going straight to the brig and we're alerting the Consortium and the Government _and_ the Council to its whereabouts."

"And just how do you plan to do that," Icaran took another puff. "When you have no idea where it is?"

"Simple." Crossing his arms in front of him. "You're going to show us."

"Am I now?"

"Unless you want to go to jail for a few thousand years. Forty stellograms, was it?"

"With a word I can have my ship self-destruct." He revealed a com link inside his collar. "This entire ship will go up like a supernova and no one will ever know." He grimaced. "Now, I suggest you let me go on my way. I'm thankful for the hospitality but I think I've overstayed my welcome." Icaran tossed the cigar to the floor and turned his chair around. Riven blocked his escape route, however, and was beginning to seriously piss him off. "Get out of my way, boy." He ordered. "Unless." He tapped his com link.

But then, Riven just smiled and shook his head. "You won't do it."

"Don't test my,"

"Shut up!" Riven yelled and brought both hands down on the front of his chair causing it lean over and bringing their faces that much closer. "I know you won't give the order to blow up your ship because that's not your style. You're a survivor, like me. It's not in your nature to commit suicide or to throw your life away. Since you were young you always looked out for number one. Screw everyone. Screw the world! No one's going to get in your way. Well I do the same thing. Kill yourself? For what? You think your associates will remember your sacrifice? You think they'll praise you for keeping the secret? Wake up, asshole! You're three weeks late on your delivery. They probably think you skipped out on them, giving your cargo to some other buyer and making a shitload of money off of it. You know what they do to traitors, don't you?"

Icaran's emotionless eyes told Riven he did. "Good because it's a hell of a lot worse than anything the authorities can do to you. But say, for some reason, you help us uncover the oblivium and expose the illegal trafficking of the stuff. It could help you in the eyes of the Powers That Be. Then they can fix you up; send you off to some far off place where you live in peace the rest of your days away from those who would wish you harm. You can start a new life, a new face, new body, everything! You can rest in peace knowing you did the right thing and that those responsible for those clinics, who I don't believe for a second are doing what you said they were doing and neither do you, are brought to justice. Trust me, nothing is better when you can look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of what you see. I know it." He settled down. "Please, Icaran. You were a hero once. You can be one again. From one specialist to another, do the right thing."

Icaran closed his eyes. "Things aren't as simple as you make them seem."

"If they were, the world wouldn't need heroes." Riven stood at attention, hands clasped behind his back. "Class of 74'! We do the things that cannot be done. _Fidelis_!"

The man's eyes lit up. Riven just recited the code of Herculam, his alma mater. Fidelis: _Faith_.

He could not help from smile. "I wish I had your strength back then." With a resigned sigh, "Listen up, dick, I'm only going to say this once."

---

When Prince Skye arrived in the lounge area, he found almost everyone huddled around a sobbing Musa. Layla was rubbing her back and looked up at him when she heard the door slid open. She didn't look too pleased to see him.

"What happened?"

"Your friend happened."

"Riven?"

"Who else?!" She snapped. "Asshole."

_What the hell did you do now, Riven?_

Skye looked to Brandon for an explanation. Patting Stella softly on her shoulder, he went over to Skye and relayed everything that happened. "He was as big a jerk as that Icaran guy."

"I can't believe he would,"

"Believe it. He's a dick."

"I only wanted him to keep Icaran out of trouble while we fixed his ship."

"Yeah, well they were getting along just fine when we left. They're like father and son. Though who's worse is hard to say."

Skye could not believe it. "Look, I'm sorry for all this."

"You're sorry?" Brandon asked.

"I'm the one who told Riven to accompany him. I figured since they were so much alike he would be able to keep the freighter pilot under control but I see it's only made him more out of control."

"I hate him!" Musa sobbed. "How was so mean."

"He practically insulted Musa." Flora said. "He actually thought he paid her a compliment."

"He did not defend her honor." Helia added.

"Honestly, Skye, couldn't you have picked a better friend?" Stella asked him.

Skye looked at all of their faces and came to a decision. "Alright. I'm going to have a talk with him."

"I'm going with you." Brandon said.

"As will I." Helia said. "We all will _talk_ some sense into that insensitive brute."

Bloom was just walking in. "Man, Timmy and Tecna really know their stuff. I can't believe that," She stopped when she saw everyone's expression. "Um…is something wrong?"

"Riven's what's wrong!" Musa said and cried into Layla's shoulder.

"Oh no." Bloom said. So much for their great time.

"Sorry, Bloom, but the guys and I are going to knock some sense into him. If you'll excuse us."

"But what did he do?"

"Make a friend." Brandon said.

"And that's bad?"

"Only if your friend insults your woman and you not only do nothing about it but join in."

Bloom gasped. "He wouldn't."

"He did." Flora said.

"Oh my…"

"Think nothing of it." Skye told her. "I promise we won't do anything rash."

"Unless he makes us." Brandon added.

"Don't count on us to do the same." Stella said.

"Well I can see I'm quite popular at the moment." Riven suddenly appeared at the open door. Musa's head shot up and she looked at him through tear-filled yes. How it pained him to see her that way. But he would apologize to her in his own way, not in front of an audience. Instead, he just turned to regard the rest of the group. "We have a problem."

"You're the problem!" Layla scolded.

"Not now, she-boy." He shot back. "It has to do with our guest."

"Icaran?" Skye asked.

He nodded. "He's told me something I think you're all going to wanna hear."

---

**It all comes crashing down…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Don't ever call Riven a jerk…**

…**He may take it as a compliment.**

**Riven: And I'm also a jerk who can kick some serious ass!**

**Right, right. But besides that, you have to admit his interrogation technique was successful and now that he's uncovered the freighter captain's secret it's up to the rest of the gang to decide what they're going to do with this information. Pleased with all the positive feedback; and the emotional ones as well (FreakyVoice, put down the axe.) And a thanks to LadyNightSky for her comments on my historical references. I put them in to make the world of Winx seem more realistic. But thanks to everyone this story has been well worth it.**

**---**

Timmy watched Icaran on the vid-screen. The freighter captain had been escorted to the ship's brig personally by Riven after their little meeting. He did not seem the least bit perturbed at his current lodgings and instead fancied himself a cigar which he puffed loudly, filling the small room with the smog of inhaled tobacco.

That had been almost a half hour ago and currently the rest of the crew; that is, the Winx Club and their specialist boyfriends, were discussing Riven's discovery in the conference room. Timmy had programmed the ship, as ordered to by Skye, to a dead stop in space. As of right now they weren't going anywhere until a decision was reached and from the looks of things that was going to take some time.

To sum it up, the debate was split into two groups. One side, led by Stella, voted they turn Icaran over to the proper authorities and get back to their vacation. Layla, Musa, Tecna and Brandon agreed with the princess from Solaria and wanted nothing more to do with that despicable man down in the brig.

The other side consisted of the remaining specialists; minus Skye, who chose to be neutral, and Flora and Bloom. It was a sense of duty that spurred the male crew to put aside their needs in favor of investigating this potential threat to galactic security on their own and the only reason Brandon wasn't with them was because right now he was surrounded by estrogen. That or the Solarian princess had him whipped.

Either way, the final decision rested on Prince Skye. Timmy could see the conflict in his face as he mulled over his choices. He had planned this vacation for days now and wanted nothing more than to get back on track and have the time of his life with his friends. On the other hand, he had taken an oath to ensure the safety of the innocent. If the oblivium on that planet were to remain solely in the hands of criminals there's no telling what damage they might do. Skye may not be wearing the uniform, but he was a specialist to the core. His need or his duty; which should he choose?

"Come on, Skye." Stella barked. She was standing on the other side of the round table from which the prince sat with his head deep in thought. "You're the one who planned this whole thing. It'd be a shame to put it aside to go into some dangerous nebula looking for a planet that may not even exist."

"It exists." Riven said from her right.

"How would you know?" Stella turned to him. "He could be lying for all it matters."

"He's not lying, Stella."

"Oh, and I suppose your impeccable powers of deduction are capable to telling whether he told the truth or not?"

"He has no reason to lie."

"He has every reason!" Stella regarded everyone in the room. "You heard the story. He's working for some crime syndicate who wants to use this oblivium to start wars across the universe. I know if I worked for these guys and I were captured I'd lead us on some wild goose chase until I can make my escape."

"You don't understand." Riven told her. "He's a man of his word." He then looked at Skye. "The coordinates he gave us are legit; you can trust me on that."

Stella crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side. "Let me guess. This has to do with some honor code you hero boys like to believe in. An oath between men? Honestly, are you all that gullible?" She took a moment to look at Brandon. He was one of the heroes she had just insulted and a look of remorse came across her face. "Not you, honey bear. I know you're smart."

"More like whipped." Riven whispered under his breath and Helia, who was standing right beside him couldn't help but snicker.

Then Layla stepped forward looking to put an end to this debate once and for all. "Look I don't see what the big problem is. Let's just turn this guy over to the police, give them the coordinates and be on our way. We'd have done our act of community service and probably get some medals as soon as we got back from out trip."

"It is the logical choice." Tecna said.

But Timmy shook his head. "Actually, I don't think it is."

Tecna's face flushed red. Timmy actually disagreed with her logic in front of everyone. To most couples this wouldn't have seemed as much of a big deal but between these two brilliant minds it was as if he just insulted her womanhood. "Timmy…"

"Hear me out. We've just uncovered what may be one of the biggest illegal operations in the universe. We have the means of bringing it down but only if we act now. If the coordinates Mister Icaran gave us are accurate, which Riven states that they are, it will put us less than a day away from that planet which is only a minor detour from our previous destination." He fixed his glasses, a gesture his friends knew to mean that he wasn't through. "Now I checked our present location. The nearest police station is on Praxis, a five-day trip even if we set our engines to maximum. Judging the distance and given who we are, I think it would make more sense for us to go ahead and look into this thing ourselves."

"So why not just send a communications signal?" Stella asked. "We'll let them know about our findings and _they_ can look into it."

"And what about Icaran?" Riven asked.

"He can stay in the brig."

Helia scoffed. "You mean to leave that man in a holding cell for the remainder of the trip? That doesn't seem very civilized."

"The brig's a hell of a lot more civilized than that ship of his from what you told me."

"And what if someone else picks up the message?" Riven asked.

"Like who?"

"His employers for instance. You don't think there are other smuggler ships in the area? If we send out a signal to the police stating what we've found I guarantee you somebody we don't want to hear it will pick it up and come tomorrow morning we'll have a dozen pirate ships blasting away at our hull. I don't know if you realized this, princess, but this isn't a warship."

"We wouldn't stand much of a chance." Timmy added.

"But couldn't we just put Icaran in stasis?" Brandon asked. "The king had some stasis pods installed in the ship just in case anyone picked up some deadly virus or got mortally wounded. They'd keep the body frozen until they could get it to an emergency center for recovery."

"What is wrong with you?" Helia asked Brandon. "Putting a human being on ice simply because we don't want to spoil our fun is improper behavior for those of our training."

"Stella's just got him wrapped around her little finger." Riven said.

"Careful, Riv. You're not exactly in the best standing with this team as of now so watch your mouth."

The fairy of Tides chipped in. "If you didn't speak to Icaran we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I'm sure the victims of the next Numibian massacre would have understood."

"Don't even play that card. Right now the only person you should be worrying about is right here." She motioned to Musa who had been sitting in silence this entire time. She did not even look up even though she felt Riven's eyes upon her. Musa was so angry at him. But she would not voice her frustrations. Not here. Not how. Not until this was over.

Riven clenched his fists by his sides. He wanted to apologize to Musa but he could never break down emotionally in front of everyone. The only time he did that was when he expressed his love for the fairy in the Under Realm just before she and the Winx Club went off the save Bloom from Lord Darkar. Things were different then: they weren't at odds with each other. This time he had gone too far.

And that bitch Layla would not let him forget it.

"Look I put aside all my plans to go on this trip and I do not want to ruin it traversing some dangerous nebula." All eyes fell on the pink-haired fairy. It's true Tecna wasn't all gung-ho about going on this cruise and only through some coaxing by Flora did she even agree to come along at all. Now it seemed she had just about enough of all this talking. She just wanted a vacation. She deserved it. After all the hard work she put into school and the battles against monsters and witches all she wanted to do was relax. So what if she sounded selfish? She never wanted to be here.

Flora had listened to what Tecna had said and she could not help but feel a little guilty. She had been the one to convince Tecna to join them and now she was regretting her interference.

Bloom touched Flora on the shoulder as if she knew what was bothering the fairy of nature. With a gentle squeeze, she managed to put a smile on Flora's face and then stepped up to address the group. "Look we've been going on about this for a while now. I don't think we should let something like this put a damper on our vacation."

"Then why aren't you over here with us instead of them?" Stella dared to ask.

"Because we have the power to do something. My mother told me that people should help one another if they can and if not they should at least lend their support. We're the Winx Club and we've always done our best to help those in need. I don't see why that should change now."

"The only ones in need are us!" Stella said. "Don't we deserve a break after all that's happened? I for one am tired of always being the one Fate calls whenever there's trouble. Can't somebody else deal with it?"

"No. Which is why it's up to us."

"Come on, Bloom."

"You should listen to her." Riven stepped up. "She's doing what's right."

"Don't talk to me about what's right, Riven." Musa purposely kept herself from yelling those words. She would not lose her composure in front of him. That would be like saying he had power of her. And he didn't. No one had power over Musa. Raising her dark, oval eyes, she glared at the specialist from her seat. "Only those with honor have the capability to talk about what's right." With that, the fairy got up and left the room. All eyes turned to Riven who suddenly felt very small at the moment.

"Can't we just make a decision and be done with it?" Tecna said after a long moment of uncomfortable silence.

"That's up to our captain." Bloom faced Skye who was still deliberating in his head. The blonde-haired prince weighed the options before him like any good leader and would judge for himself what was the best course of action. Sure he wanted this vacation to go on as planned but they could not just ignore this. Weeks of Red Fountain training had drilled into him a set of responsibilities. Be it apparent or not, one must never let a potential threat go unchallenged.

"Timmy," he began. "When we reach the planet in question, what would be the best course of action?"

"Send down a team to scout out the operation. Access their capabilities then formulate a plan that would best neutralize them in the best way possible to minimize casualties. Afterward, we detain the operatives and secure the area before sending a coded transmission to the proper authorities."

Textbook answer, Skye thought.

Princess Stella sagged her pretty shoulders. "So that means…"

"Set a course." Skye said.

Stella and Layla let out a groan. Brandon sighed. Tecna just stood in silence. Only Riven seemed to approve of Skye's decision. Helia walked over to Flora and put his arm around her while Bloom did the same with Skye. Timmy approached Tecna but she just turned her back on him. "Not now, Timmy." She said and took her leave.

"I'm with you, Skye." Bloom told her love.

"I know." He placed his hand on hers. "I just wish everyone else was."

---

The brig door slid open to permit a pretty young fairy with bobbing pigtails. She made her way over to the only occupied cell, grimacing at the sight of its sole resident. Icaran did not grimace, however, for he found the girl much to his liking. Not that he would ever do anything as disturbing as attempt to procreate with one so young but a man was allowed his fantasies was he not?

Musa stood with her arms crossed beneath her breasts which plumped them together. It wasn't a good thing to do in front of a man who hadn't seen such an attractive female in so long and not when she was all alone with him in a soundproof room; but the energy barrier was enough to keep them separate. But again, a man was allowed his fantasies.

"Something I can do for ya, lass?"

The name brought up images of helpless young women. Musa's eyes narrowed dangerously while Icaran's only widened with intrigue. Had he struck a nerve? Funny how she could build up so much hostility toward him when they had only known one another for a short time. He wondered if Riven knew his lady was down here with him? Would he approve? Certainly not. So what was her business coming to him?

"I hope you're happy." She started. "You just ruined what was supposed to be the best time of our lives."

Icaran blew out a wad of smoke from his cigar. Why Riven had allowed him to keep those disgusting things was beyond her but she almost wanted to reach in there and shove that thing down his throat.

"The time of your lives?" He repeated. "Just listen to you. Not even old enough to drink and already you think experienced all that life has to offer."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you don't know shit about shit. That a good enough explanation for ya?"

Her nostrils flared, again enticing Icaran's dark fantasies.

He cracked a smile on that ugly face of his. "Stop beating around the bush and get out with it."

"Why?" She asked him. "Why did you choose to become a smuggler?"

"Man's gotta make a living."

"But smuggling oblivium?"

"Puts money in my pocket and food in my belly." He tapped his gut. "What's left of it that is." He laughed.

Musa didn't.

Icaran sighed. "Say what you will about that boy of yours. Least he knew how to appreciate a good joke."

"I don't think you're funny."

"Not even funny looking?"

"Stop it!" She cried. "You've ruined everything."

"Kind of hard for one man to ruin _everything_."

"You just don't care do you? You don't care if we get hurt or killed going after this stupid smuggling ring you got going on. I know Skye's going to say yes and when he does we're going to put ourselves in danger so that others don't have to. I know because that's what we do. We're the good guys. We stand for what's right."

"And what do you think is right?" Icaran asked before taking another whiff.

"I think it's right," She said. "That we deserve some time off from saving the universe. We've been through so much and I'm tired of seeing my friends get hurt because some maniacal son of a bitch decides that his needs are above everyone else's."

"Well I wouldn't call myself maniacal but,"

Musa cut him off. "And if I had my way we'd leave you out there to suffocate." She brought her hands before her and turned them into fists. "I hate you. I hate you and everyone like you. Why can't you…why can't you just…" Her voice was caught in her throat.

"Die?" Icaran stated.

"Leave us alone!" She turned away not wanting Icaran to see the frustrating tears that formed in her eyes.

The freighter captain bit back a chuckle, instead going for another smoke. It's no wonder the sailors of old didn't allow women on their ships. With a needlessly long breath, he filled his small cell with even more smoke. Only the ventilation shafts in the ceiling prevented him from suffocating to death. Hey, wasn't that what this girl had wanted for him? Yes. She said she'd have left him out there to suffocate. Such a horrid thought for one so pure. But then again, no woman was truly pure now was she?

"Let me ask you something." Icaran began. Musa stifled her sobs before they became audible and wiped her face. Once she turned back to Icaran he spoke to her. "What is it that's truly got your panties in a bunch? Is it because you happened to stumble across my ship in the dead of space and chose to save me because I was a man in need of your help? Is it because your boyfriend discovered one of the most elusive smuggling operations in the universe and now wants to do everything in his power to bring it down? Is it because you're about to do something noble and risk your lives for the sake of others when there's no need for you to do so? I don't know, lass. If you ask me you have nothing to be ashamed about. You seem to be surrounded by good and honest people who've only done what they believe in their hearts to be the right thing to do."

Musa was at a lost for words. Suddenly everything came out of Icaran's mouth, besides smoke, was padded with elements of truth. Sure their vacation may be ruined, but it was for a just cause. If the Trix were up to anything, the gang would drop what they were doing and put a stop to it. Darkar was no joke but that would not stop them from fighting the good fight. The fairy felt that deep in her heart they were doing the right thing, but something still bothered her.

Icaran was good at reading people. One had to be if he expected to survive in his world. "Why don't you admit it, lass. You're not mad at me. It's Riven."

Musa looked at him.

"Despite his motives he still hurt your feelings and you can't help but feel pissed. It's understandable. Young love tends to affect you in ways that would seem illogical." His eyes bored into hers. "And you _do_ love him don't you."

"I…of course I do."

"I mean _love_ him, lass. Not the peck on the cheek or cheap feel that passes for love nowadays, but honest to goodness love. He's the man you want to spend the rest of your life with."

"I…that is," She sighed "You don't know anything."

"You know I'm right."

"Shut up!"

Pegged her, Icaran thought.

"Don't blame me for your troubles. If you really want to sort out the emotions rummaging through that pretty little body of yours then I suggest you take them up with Riven."

The music fairy turned with fire in her eyes. "You know, when all of this is over, I'll take some solace knowing you'll be spending the rest of your life behind bars." Enough said and she left the brig.

Icaran could only laugh at her departing statement. "Poor thing. If she only knew who I worked for."

---

In less than seventeen hours they had reached the nebula. It was a massive cloud that stretched for thousands of interstellar kilometers in every direction. Flashes of light emanated behind the billowing reaches of the nebula while bolts of lightning as big as the _Queen Sparx_ dared them to approach any further. It was a monster and in all the storybooks the monster tended to eat those that wandered into its lair.

Skye stood with Bloom, Brandon, Stella, Timmy and Tecna aboard the bridge. Time had passed before they realized they were just gawking at the sight before them.

"Amazing." He heard Bloom say beside him.

"More like terrifying." Skye muttered.

"The flight plan Icaran provided us should take us through the nebula relatively unscathed." Timmy announced.

"Define 'relatively'." Brandon said.

"It means we should get through in one piece." Tecna told him. "But it will be a bumpy ride."

"Wonderful." Stella said while exaggeratingly waving her arms above her head. Brandon put his arm around her.

"We're ready, Skye." Timmy said.

With one look at Bloom for emotional support, Skye gave the word. "Take us in."

The engines roared to life and they were on their way.

---

**Okay, it will all come crashing down eventually, I promise.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sometimes doing the right thing isn't worth it.**

**Why?**

**Because when the shit hits the fan you have to pull your own ass out of the fire. (That's a nice quote. I think I'll reference it for future works.)**

---

The view from the pool room was quite stunning and were it not for the excessive tremors this entire episode would have been a splendid detour. The ethereal lights of the nebula seemed to go on forever. It was an ocean of endless blues and whites with purples and shades of green that occasionally revealed themselves with the next thunderclap.

Naturally, only an artist would take the time to truly enjoy the spectacle, which is why Helia had started drawing the moment he had witnessed the splendor. His hand was steady; no tremor could possibly disturb his fingers as they danced across his emerging tapestry. It seemed like he had been possessed by some divine being of creativity for Helia blocked out all outside distractions while focusing completely on his painting. He had to admit that he was no longer sorry for their having come here. He would have to be a fool to miss out on something like this. Wait until Flora saw his latest work. She would love it!

And while Flora was nowhere in sight, Helia was not alone in the pool room. Stella, Brandon, Bloom, and Layla were trying to make the best of their current situation. They had entered the nebula just a few short hours ago. Hoping some time at the pool would brighten their moods, the party bathed in the artificial light of the sunlamps and from time to time, each of them had taken a dip in the pool. Stella had organized a volleyball game inside the water with her and Brandon on one side and Bloom and Layla on the other.

"Spike!" The blonde called to her fiancée as Brandon went in for a score. With power resulting from years of martial training at Red Fountain, Brandon spiked the ball onto the other side of the net…and right at Bloom.

Now Bloom was quite athletic but even she couldn't match a jock in water sports. Lucky for her she was teamed up with another jock and one who was far more accustomed to aquatic recreational activities than she was.

"Heads up, Bloom!" Layla said as she quickly rebounded the ball into the air, setting it up so that Bloom could get her shot – or at the very least prevent Brandon and Stella from scoring.

"Pass it to me!" Layla told her.

Bloom recovered from her momentary daze and dove for the ball. "Got it!" And she was half right for though she managed to send it back up she lost her footing and went under. Luckily, Layla was there to pick up her slack. "Get ready for this!" Using her natural abilities, Layla leaped into the air, twirled, and brought her best arm swinging around for a spike like no other. "Catch!"

Poor Brandon, Helia thought, momentarily taking the time to look over his shoulder.

In terms of sheer strength, Layla was no match for Brandon, but to fight her in the water…he may as well have challenged a shark.

In came the ball; up went Brandon's arms; there was a yelp…and then nothing but splashes.

"Snookums!" Stella cried.

Bloom's head appeared just moments after the event. "What happened?"

"Miss Brute nearly killed my boyfriend!"

"He's fine." Layla said. She watched as Brandon poked out his head, spitting out water followed by a whistle. "Nice move, Layla."

"I was the number one player on my school's underwater volleyball team six years running."

"Under…water?" Brandon asked not fully understanding.

"Children in Tides learn to hold their breaths at a young age. It's a useful skill. Particularly when ninety percent of your planet's surface is covered in water."

The specialist tossed the ball over the net where Layla caught it as naturally as he would a thrown dagger. "Makes sense. In Eraklyon, dragon riding is a national pastime. Some of the best in the universe come from there."

"Too bad Skye didn't bring alone a few dragons. Maybe then you'd be able to beat me in a dragon wrangling contest."

"Maybe." Brandon laughed.

Bloom didn't. She recalled the near collision the two had back in the training room in the palace on Eraklyon. Layla practically dared Brandon to a match which the specialist politely refused. Yet, she pushed. Layla could be so competitive at times. Then again, perhaps it was because Brandon was a guy.

"Yo, Helia." Brandon called. "Why don't you come join us?"

"You already have four players." The dark-haired boy said back.

"Exactly. You can play on our team. That will even the odds against Queen of the Sea over there."

"No thank you."

"Suit yourself." Brandon turned to Layla. "What's the score?"

"Six-two. Our ball."

The ship shook again.

"Dammit!" Stella tried to say though water had rushed into her mouth at that moment and it came out as, "da_gurgle-gurlge…splash! Cough! Cough!_"

"How much longer are we going to be in this thing?" The ebony fair asked.

"I'll call the bridge," Bloom was already halfway out the pool. "Maybe Skye can give us an update."

A robot pool attendant passed her a towel as she headed for the intercom. She thanked the robot, though it could not possibly appreciate the courtesy, and pushed a button on the far wall. A fuzzy screen showed Prince Skye, Tecna and Timmy on the bridge. "Hey, Bloom."

"Skye, are we almost there?"

"Timmy says…(static)…aking great time. Sh…(static)…there in a litt…while."

"What's wrong with the intercom?" Bloom knew that he would be receiving a message as garbled as the one she heard but hoped he would get the gist of her inquiry.

"Storm mess…with our internal sys……………on and off. Don't wo…….and Tecna work…on it."

"Is everything alright up there?"

"Yeah but…" he looked off screen. Tecna needed his attention for some reason. "…call you back, B….Skye out."

The way he abruptly severed their link worried Bloom as the seal of the Eraklyon Royal Family appeared on the black screen. "I'd better go see what's up. Guys, I'm going up." She dried herself off as best she could and made haste for the door, still in her green and blue bikini.

"She's going up like that?" Stella asked and Brandon just smiled.

"Skye's going to get a nice surprise."

The princess of Solaria toweled off after leaving the pool. "Might as well work on my tan."

This caught Helia's attention. "Must you do that now, Stella? The intense heat will melt my painting. It's done in water color."

"There's an observatory two levels up, Helia." She told him. "Nothing to harm your precious pictures up there."

"It's a painting."

"Whatever. But seeing as how this is a pool and only one of us is wearing proper attire." She motioned to her bathing suit and struck a pose. "I'd say I have the right of way, wouldn't you?"

The artist sighed. He carefully packed away his tools and took his leave.

Moments later, Helia found himself in the ship's observatory, mainly a glass bubble looking out at the stars. A protective energy shield reinforced the bubble from outside forces and Helia was quite safe, even though there appeared to be almost nothing between him and open space.

It was dark, quiet, secluded. He liked it. Taking out his brush and paints, Helia went back to work on his masterpiece. With nothing but the nebula for inspiration it would only be a matter of time.

---

"Nothing at all?" Prince Skye asked.

The brilliant and ever up front Tecna reiterated. "We're blind, Skye. The navigation system in on the fritz. I'm not even sure if we can find our way back."

"Don't tell me that." Skye covered his face and shook his head. Less than a day out of Eraklyon and he managed to strand him and his friends inside a nebula with no means of getting out.

"We're working on it, Skye." Timmy was busy working on the main console trying desperately to bring the Nav-system back on line or at the very least figure out just what the hell was wrong with the thing. Tecna joined him and together they were like two hands working for a very incompetent brain, that's the way Skye saw it at any rate. As of right now, they were the only two people who had any idea of what they were doing on this ship which meant the passenger's, and the captain's, fates rested completely in their hands.

"What was our last known position?" Timmy asked.

"3-428-Mark 3."

"At our current rate of speed that would put us three light years from our entry point."

"Four." Tecna corrected.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Four."

"Matching that with the coordinates of the planet we are looking for it should be five point six light years into the nebula. If we keep our heading the way it is we should find it in another half hour."

"When we crash right into it you mean." Skye said. He may not be as astronomical savvy as his two friends, but even he knew flying blind toward an unknown planet was downright suicide. They'd be caught in the planet's gravitational pull and crash on the surface. Without their Nav they had no way of knowing and relying on human eyes in outer space was like poking through a vast cavern with a candle: you don't see what's ahead of you until it's too late.

"We could use acoustics." Tecna suggested.

"Acoustics?" Skye asked.

"Great idea, Tec!" Timmy exclaimed.

"Guys?"

Tecna explained. "Subterranean animals are known to use acoustics to travel in their lightless world. They're basically blind so the must rely on sound to see where they're going. Timmy and I can rig our main antennae to send out a large acoustic signal ahead of the ship. It travels through space and once it hits a solid object, say a planet,"

"Then the signal will bounce back to us and warn us before we can collide. You guys are brilliant!"

"It was Tecna's idea." Timmy said.

The fairy blushed, and how it beamed on her pale skin. "Yes, well…I have a terrific partner for inspiration."

Now Timmy blushed.

Skye was too excited to notice. "We're going to have to use a lot of power to beam a signal powerful enough to give us a major heads up on an incoming planet."

"Already working on it, Skye." Timmy said. "Most of the ship's systems will have to shut down."

"Vital systems?"

"Uh-uh. Only luxuries."

Tecna whistled. "Stella's not going to like this. And to think she won't have time to work on her tan."

"The _Queen's_ already bugging out as it is." Skye could not believe he just used a Musa comment. "I could barely talk to Bloom on the comm-link."

"The lifts, sonic showers, television, radio, we're going to have to give all that up."

Skye looked at Tecna. "What about Icaran?"

"The brig has a backup system that'll keep the forcefield online." She answered. "The robots work on an independent energy source so we don't have to worry about them."

Timmy sighed. "Looks like we'll have to rough it."

"Damn." Skye swore. "Alright. Try to get the comm system back up as soon as you can. I want to let everyone know what's going on."

Timmy was shaking his head before Skye even finished. "I already took it offline. Don't worry, I'll have it up and running soon after. I just wasn't sure how much power the antennae would need yet."

Tecna smiled. "We're ready, Skye."

Pushing blonde hair out of his eyes, Skye gave them the go ahead. "Do it."

---

_A few minutes earlier…_

Bloom walked past Riven who looked like he was about ready to hit the gym. He wore blue short, a sleeveless gray t-shirt and had a towel wrapped around his neck. His skin exposure paled in comparison to Bloom. She was still in her bikini and had her towel behind her like a cape. They stopped momentarily to size the other up.

"Hey, Riven." The fairy spoke kindly but hesitantly. After what had happened between he and Musa she wasn't keen on being too friendly at the moment.

Fortunately Riven understood and nodded in return. "Hey."

"Heading for the gym?"

"Looks that way. You?"

"Bridge."

"Looking like that?"

"What? Oh…it's just that Skye seemed worried and I wanted to see what was up."

"By the way you are now it looks like it'll be him."

"Riven!"

"He's a guy, Bloom. Put some clothes on and then go see him. Trust me. His composure will thank you." He went to leave.

"Riven." Bloom said and he stopped. "About Musa. You know you hurt her feelings right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, are you going to make up with her?"

"In time." He began walking.

The girl could only roll her eyes. "He can be so stubborn sometimes." Bloom said out of earshot. She then looked down her body. "Maybe I should put something on. My quarters aren't far from here."

---

_Two minutes after that…_

Riven arrived at the gym to find two fairies deep in conversation. One of them froze him in his tracks the minute she looked at him. The other he completely ignored. Now that he had a personal vendetta against her. Flora was too wonderful to hate. But she wasn't who he came to see.

They had been sitting on a treadmill when the specialist entered and it looked like he walked in on something important. In short, he was intruding.

Sucks to them, he thought. The gym was public ground.

Musa turned away, still furious with Riven. Flora looked between the two and decided it was best she stayed clear. "I think I'll hit the showers." She watched Riven blatantly disregard them and go straight toward the weights. Setting the bars at a considerable leverage, he sat down, leaned over and began to pump iron. Flora leaned over to Musa and whispered, "I'll be nearby in case you need me. Remember what we talked about okay?"

"Kay." Musa said and smiled at her friend.

Once she was gone it was just her and Riven.

Screw him!

Musa had been working out to vent her frustrations and combined with Flora's pep talk it had done wonders. But then he stepped in. Suddenly she wanted to run a marathon. Riven watched her start up the treadmill. Doing everything in her power to pretend he wasn't here, Musa focused entirely on her running. She was too stubborn to just leave. Afterall, she was here first. Besides, being here gave Riven the opportunity to apologize to her. But she wouldn't make it easy on him. Perhaps, she mused, if he came to her on his hands and knees she would at least spare him a glance.

Five minutes went by and nothing happened.

They heard the shower going in the next room. Musa stank to high heaven and she ached to get herself clean, but she didn't want to be the one to run away. Just being there shamed Riven, his honor as a warrior and a gentlemen, if he even knew what the word meant, was sullied by his actions and being in the same room as she was would have most men begging for forgivingness.

Riven knew what she expected. How he pitied her for thinking him so weak. Riven never begged. He be damned a thousand times over before he looked weak in front of a woman. Still, he did want to speak to her.

Putting down the weights, Riven stretched himself out before making his way to the nearest treadmill. He started running but never looked at Musa as he spoke. "Getting tired?"

"Nope."

"You look it."

"Worry about yourself. That is what you're best at."

_Ouch!_ But then again…was she wrong?

"Helps keep me alive."

"There's more to life than living."

"You sound like Helia."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Musa revved up the speed.

Riven saw this and raised her two levels. She copycatted.

"I was trained to do what I needed to do to survive. Being a princess and all, I don't think you'd understand."

"I understand guys like you."

"Oh?"

"You think you know everything."

"Well I am smart."

"Arrogant."

"You mean confident."

"Selfish."

"Self-preservation."

"Stubborn."

"Persistent."

"Critical."

"Realistic."

"Unsympathetic."

"Honest."

The girl from the Harmonic Nebula kicked the mill up a notch. Riven followed suit.

"You never admit when you're wrong."

"Because I'm usually right."

"No you're not."

"Usually."

"No…" the mill was almost at maximum. "You're not."

Riven pushed the mill all the way up. Soon both were running so fast they couldn't stop.

"You know I…needed to…win his…trust." Riven said through gasps.

"You were…still…an…ass."

"But it…worked."

"You still…don't…get it…do you?"

"Get…what?"

"You hurt me…Riven."

"Would it…help to say…I did…not mean…to?"

"Not really."

"Oh come…on…Musa…let's…forget about…that."

"Say you're sorry."

"Skye told…me to…"

"Say…it!"

"For…following…orders?"

"Riven!"

"What?"

Both mills abruptly turned off and the combatants faced each other.

"Say you're sorry."

"For what?"

"You know damn well,"

"I will not apologize for,"

"Then you can forget it."

"Forget what?"

"About us."

"I already have!"

"Good because I want nothing more to do with an asshole like you!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

The lights in the gym flickered off and a cry was heard from the showers.

Emergency lights filled the room with a dim blue hue and Musa and Riven were left glaring at each other.

Flora came out wrapped in a towel and still soaking wet. "What's going on."

"I don't know." Riven said.

"I'll go check." Musa said.

"Me too."

They both stormed out of the gym together leaving a shivering and half-naked Flora wondering what had just transpired.

---

Bloom had changed into some clothes: a blue pair of jeans with a red tank top and white sneakers, and was on her way to the bridge when the lift stopped. "Hey!" she cried. Emergency lights provided dim illumination and Bloom was forced to resort to magic to create a ball of fire to properly see. "What's going on?"

"_Warning! Fire!"_ Said the lift's electronic voice. Then the sprinklers kicked in and Bloom was drenched. "Ah! What the...!"

---

Helia felt something was wrong and stopped painting. The air around him became thinner and he started to have trouble breathing. Was something wrong with the energy shield?

It was cold…

---

Stella screamed. Layla and Brandon ceased their one-on-one game as soon as the lights went out.

"The hell?" the specialist said.

The Solarian princess fell over her chair when she tried to find her robes. "Ow! Stupid chair!"

Layla was already out of the pool. "Let's get out of here."

"I'm all for that." Brandon said.

---

Skye grabbed hold of his chair as the ship shook violently. "What was that?"

"Dammit!" Timmy said. "When we sent out the acoustic signal it drained power from the ship's stabilizers."

"Which means our bumpy ride is going to get a whole lot bumpier!" Tecna added.

The _Queen Sparx_ lurched and shuddered in space forcing Skye's teeth to rattle. "Oh this is just great. What else can go wrong?"

"Um…Skye."

The prince looked up when Timmy called to him. It was a good thing they sent the acoustic signal when they did for they were just about to bump into something. A great many somethings as it turned out. Millions of floating rocks filled the view screen and Skye cursed again and again. "Evasive action, Timmy!"

"I'm on it!" Timmy said thought with half the ship's functions out he wondered just how much he could do.

---

"**What else can go wrong?"**

**You don't EVER say that because something ALWAYS goes wrong after that. Skye should really watch more movies.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Tragedy starts.**

---

The elevator door burst into a million sparks as one very agitated – and very wet – fairy escaped. One look around told Bloom that all was not well within the _Queen Sparx_, the ship which her boyfriend had so lovingly named in her honor. Her trip to the bridge had been interrupted when the lift suddenly came to a halt and as if that weren't enough of an inconvenience the sprinkler system came on line. Frightened at first, Bloom tried to call for help on the intercom but when that didn't work, which nothing seemed to be at the moment, she resorted to her magic and transformed. She tried to avoid property damage when she could, but there was no way she was going to meet her end in a disfuctioning turbo-lift.

Bloom was known for keeping her cool during chaotic situations and this time was no different. The ship was rocked by countless impacts while a warning klaxon blared overhead. The hallway lights flickered on and off and she could see smoke coming from down the hall. A number beside the damaged lift told her she was on the eighth deck, just one short of the bridge and immediately set off to find a route that would take her there.

A couple or repair robots hovered right by her making haste toward a part of the hull which she noticed, to her dismay, was beginning to buckle. "That can't be good." Bloom had seen enough sci-fi movies to know that when solid metal of any alloy begins to bend like that it usually meant one thing and she didn't survive a near-drowning accident just to suffocate out in the vastness of space.

The fairy ducked around the corner just as she heard a horrible screeching sound fill the air. She didn't dare look back for her ears told her everything she needed to know. The breech tore the metal plating apart and the two robots were sucked out in open space. The rushing air reached around the corners like a searching hand and when it found Bloom it tried to pull her back to the tear. Bloom fought against the vacuum as hard as she could. Her wings beat with all their might, straining her back muscles to the point where she felt they may just pop off.

Then something else caught her attention. The emergency systems of the _Sparx_ were still on line and they just decided to kick in as Bloom was fighting for her life. A massive door began to slide shut just before her in an attempt to equalize the pressure throughout the ship by cutting off the damaged section. "No!" Bloom flapped her wings even harder and when that didn't work she actually considered destroying that door but that would only defeat the whole purpose of her escape. Bloom improvised. Turning her back toward the closing door, she fired off a powerful energy blast that sent her shooting like a blue and red rocket just past the sealing hatch. It closed shut and she was safely on the other side.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Bloom picked herself off the floor and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Another impact sent her back to her knees and she was forced to fly to keep herself oriented. Moving further down the hall she came up to another little problem. Something struck the ship so hard that it sent the ceiling falling down on her. Only quick reflexes saved her from a gruesome demise and she barreled out of the way.

But it wasn't enough to avoid the blast. It sent Bloom slamming into a nearby wall so hard that she almost lost consciousness. Through force of will she stayed awake only to have smoke fill her lungs. Ironic that the very element she wielded was trying to kill her. Well time to remind it who its mistress was. Bloom stood up and created a magical barrier between her and the fire. The flames subsided enough for her to get away around the next corner but as she stopped to catch her breath as she realized that her right arm hurt a great deal. She felt the elbow and winced in pain. Crashing into the wall must have popped something out of place.

But magic had an answer to everything and a single word of healing mended the internal wounds around the elbow. She had minor burns as well but they disappeared just as fast. Now fully healed, but feeling a bit weak after all the force exertion, Bloom searched for the nearest communications terminal and found it beside a restroom.

She hit the button. "Skye, what's going on? Can anyone hear me?" There was only static. "Skye! Stella! Anyone!"

"Bloom?" It was Tecna's voice and though she could not see her face Bloom could tell she was struggling to keep it together.

"Tecna!" she exclaimed. "What's happening, Tecna? I was almost killed."

A terrified voice overlapped Tecna's. "Bloom! Are you hurt! Where are you?"

"Skye, calm down. I'm alright; just a little worse for wear is all. But tell me what's going on?"

"We've entered an asteroid field. Timmy and Tec…heads up!" He said just as the ship shook violently from another hit. A moment later he was back on. "Timmy and Tecna are trying to get us through in one piece but I don't know how much more the ship can take. Have you seen the others?"

"Not since I left the pool. Skye, the ship is falling apart. Are they okay?" Fear entered Bloom's heart as she wondered if any of her friends had suffered close calls with Death as well. "Do you know?"

"I don't know anything at this moment. Look, Bloom, try to find a room and stay there. I'm going to have to take the helm and pilot us out of here myself."

"I'll see to repairs." She heard Tecna say. "Skye, I'm turning over all systems over to you."

"Hang tight, Bloom. Skye out!" with that he cut her off.

"Great." She sighed. She couldn't just hide while her friends were in danger. But how could she possibly find them in this mess? Then she recalled something she had learned in Professor Avalon's class. It was a technique that allowed you to locate loved ones through the power of the mind. Bloom sat down on the floor and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she focused her winx on locating her friends. It took a moment but eventually images began to scroll past her eyelids. She saw Skye, Timmy and Tecna fighting frantically to save the ship; Musa and Riven were running through a hall; Flora had just dressed and was still in the locker room; Brandon, Stella and Layla were huddled inside a utility closet; Helia….Oh My God!

"Helia!" Bloom cried. He was barely emitting a chi and that only meant one thing. Cursing to herself, Bloom tried to focus on his last whereabouts and charged for the observatory. She just prayed she wasn't too late.

---

Musa and Riven heard the cries for help behind a series of bulkheads that had blocked off a door. They tried to retrace their steps back to the gym when Musa's keen sense of hearing alerted them to the plight of their friends. This entire section of the ship was falling apart and it had forced them to take refuge inside a utility room. That frightened voice, of all people, came from Layla whose lungs were slowly filling with smoke.

"Layla, it's me." Musa announced.

"Musa! Help us!"

"Who's in there with you?" Riven asked.

"Bro!" Came Brandon's voice. "Stella's with us too."

"And eager to get out if you don't mind." The princess said.

"Hang tight." Riven looked around. "I think I saw a crowbar beside that fire extinguisher we passed. I'll be back." Riven ran off before Musa could say anything.

"I have to do something." She said and she transformed into a fairy. With her magic powers at their peak, Musa said, "I'll see if I can move these bulkheads with a sound wave." She extended her hands and let out a powerful wave that reverberated throughout the ship. The sound echoed off the halls.

"Musa, don't!" She heard Brandon say. "The hull's too weak. You might damage it even further."

"What?"

"This whole area's falling apart. Sound waves reverberate on metal."

"Which means," Layla added. "Your magic could create a breach."

"I don't wanna die on my vacation, Musa!" Stella said.

"Dammit!" She stopped. "Can't you guys do anything in there?"

"If I had my ring I could teleport us out of here but I left it in my room."

"The fire sapped most of the water molecules from the air, my magic's too weak."

"It's my fault." Brandon admitted. "When the whole thing collapsed I pushed the girls in here for safety. Instead all I ended up doing was getting us trapped. I'm really sorry."

"Knucklehead." Riven returned with a crowbar and heard his last statement. "I'll get you out." Riven slammed the crowbar directly in the middle of that metallic mess and pushed with all his might. Nothing budged. "Hold on."

"Musa, is Riven trying to move that mess by himself?" Brandon asked behind the trapped door.

"Uh-huh." She said.

"And I'm the knucklehead?"

"Shut up!" Riven tried and tried but no matter what he did the fallen steel would not give. "Shit!" He cried.

"Hold on, Riven step back."

"What for?"

"I've got an idea. Leave the crowbar where it is."

"Sorry princess. Ten of you couldn't match my strength."

"My _strength_ is my mind and my music and if you don't move this instant I'll show you just how strong I really am."

"Stop whining."

"Stop being a jerk!"

"Will you two please stop fighting?" Layla yelled. "Riven, move your ass so Musa can help us."

"Come on, Riv. It's getting really hot in here."

"And it's not because of me." Stella said.

"Fine. But if she crushes you don't blame me." The specialist stepped aside while leaving the crowbar where it was. Musa used her magic once again only on the crowbar. "The crowbar gives me a way to concentrate my magic on one single spot so that when I release it," the bar glowed a bright purple/pink. "The resulting shockwave should be enough to dislodge the bulkheads."

"And kill us." Riven muttered.

"Hurry, Musa." Layla coughed. They did not have much oxygen left.

"Almost." The bar began to shake violently. The fairy put as much of her magic as she could into that small but powerful object and when enough energy had been stored, she set it loose. "Go!" the resulting shockwave did indeed push back the bulkheads but it also sent Musa and Riven flying back. The blast was strong enough to put out most of the fire down the hall too thought smoke was still everywhere.

Coughing, Brandon and Layla pushed the door open. All three stumbled out but were otherwise unhurt.

"Nice work…_cough_...Musa." said her ebony-skinned friend.

Stella chuckled as she collapsed to the floor. "Once again brains triumphs over brawn."

Musa turned to her boyfriend who was still lying on the floor, his pride badly wounded. "See?"

"I found the crowbar." He said in an attempt to exert his role in their rescue. "Wouldn't have worked otherwise."

"Thanks, Riven." Brandon said if just to humor him. "You guys did a great job."

It was their combined efforts that saved their three friends. Riven and Musa had yet to reconcile after their disagreement in the gym, the tension was still there, but they did manage a smile in this temporary truce. But while the rescue attempt had been successful; they were still in danger.

A raging inferno exploded behind the wreckage. Sprinklers kicked in but they only kept the fire at bay, they did not destroy it.

"Move it!" Brandon led the group away from the inferno.

"Where are we going?" Stella asked.

"The hangar. It's the most heavily fortified part of the ship."

"What about Bloom and the others?" Layla asked.

"We left Flora all by herself." Musa said.

"I'll get Flora and meet you guys at the hangar." Riven split off from the group back to where he last saw the exotic fairy.

Musa didn't like being separated from him, but she reminded herself that they still had a lot to deal with so she just let him go without a word.

---

Helia was a man of hidden talents and incredible resourcefulness. In addition to being an artist, he also took up meditation classes that sharpened his mind to a razor's edge. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop the temperature from plummeting inside the domed observatory, so he did the next best thing. Putting his mind into a state of suspended animation, Helia succeeded in slowing his heart rate to a dangerous but controlled level. Sitting Indian-style, Helia's body became stiff as it slowly shut down all unnecessary activities in favor of providing energy to the vital organs.

Of course this would not save him should the temperature drop too low. While the protective shield barrier had gone up over the dome, the weather inside was dropping at a rapid pace. Helia had tried to escape before but the hatch would not comply and therefore his only hope lay in awaiting rescue. His friends would find him. All he had to do was stay alive long enough until then.

It must have been nineteen degrees right now and Helia, wearing a thin green shirt with light brown slacks and sandals, wouldn't have lasted this long had he not undergone meditation. All those hours training in the dojo were about to pay off.

He was only slightly aware of what was going on around him. His mind barely registered the hits on the ship though they would have sounded deafening were he fully alert. But something else did catch his attention. The sound of sizzling metal as if someone were using a blowtorch.

_They found me._ Were he awake he would smile but he dare not break his concentration.

Nearby where Helia was sitting, the hatch glowed a bright red and began to melt away. When it finally gave Bloom appeared in all her radiant glory. The heat emitted by the fairy had settled on Helia and slowly he began to open his frost-covered eyes. He couldn't speak, even attempting to caused his teeth to chatter, but the look in his grateful eyes was all Bloom needed to see.

"Helia!" She spread her magic to encompass the freezing youth and touched his shoulders. Ice had begun to gather on his face and hair. His body was cold to the touch and his breath was so thick. Bloom used her powers to slowly warm him up and gradually the specialist began to return to normal. Once he was strong enough to move, Helia opened his mouth and with a little bit of effort managed to stutter the words, "thank you."

"Come on." She put one of his hands over her shoulder and floated over to the burned hatch. Once they were down on the deck Bloom closed the observatory by sealing the metal with her fire. Helia was returning to normal; the feeling in his body gradually returning. "What were you doing up there?" The fairy asked.

"Needed some alone time." His voice was weak but getting stronger.

"I don't think any of us should be alone from now on. Skye said we've just entered an asteroid field. I don't know how much more the ship can take."

Helia managed to pick himself up. "Then we must aid him." He almost fell back down but Bloom was there to catch him. Her worried face flattered him but he shook his head. "I'll be alright, Bloom. But we need to find the others and formulate a plan of action."

"You're right. Can you walk?"

Helia took a few cautious steps before nodding. "It appears so. Tell me, do you have an idea of where we may find our friends?"

"I used a special technique to locate you. I think I can do it again."

A huge bang rattled their ears.

"That doesn't sound too good." Helia said just before a blast of steam rolled down upon them. Bloom screamed.

---

"Alright you bastards, let's dance!" Skye was in the pilot's seat. It was now up to him to get his ship out of this intergalactic shooting gallery and he had every intention of seeing tomorrow. Kicking in what was left of the engines, Skye moved the _Sparx_ into evasive maneuvers dodging rocks that ranged from small to great floating mountains. With him at the helm, the ship performed impressive feats of maneuverability. Timmy was providing him navigation data while Tecna saw to keeping the ship intact. Their teamwork proved extraordinary and little by little they saw the ship through the worst of the storm.

"We're almost out, Skye." Timmy informed him. His fingers danced across the navigational display. The acoustic system they were using helped him map out a relatively safe course through the field and Skye came through on every step. "There isn't much left of the asteroids."

"There isn't much left of us!" Tecna had to comment. She couldn't believe how badly damaged the ship was. It was a wonder they were not destroyed already. Tecna had to tilt her hat to the boys' recent upgrades on the _Sparx_ before they had left Eraklyon. Any other ship was have been destroyed by now. _Kudos, boys._

"Just a bit more."

"What?" Timmy thought Skye was talking to him but one look at his determined face told him that comment was meant for the ship. As this was the family's royal yacht, Skye did have a personal attachment to this ship, much as Timmy had attachments to any of his computer systems.

"Come on…" Skye spoke through grit teeth. "Almost."

"We're clear!" Timmy exclaimed. The nebula opened up before them. "Great work, Skye."

The prince collapsed in exhaustion on his seat.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Tecna began. "But we won't last much longer in this state."

"How bad is it?" Timmy asked.

"Bad. I'm afraid we'll need a complete overhaul before we can get underway again."

"I'll send a repair request to the nearest station." Skye said.

"But the nearest station is light years away!"

Timmy and Skye chuckled aloud. Tecna sighed. "This is no time to be telling jokes, Skye."

"You're right. Tecna, try to get primary systems back on line. Timmy, come with me. We're going to check up on the others."

"Right." Tecna complained. "Leave me with the difficult task."

---

Riven knew who to thank when the ship stopped shaking. He had to admit Skye came in handy sometimes. His piloting skills were second to none though it was his air-headed bravado that irked Riven more than anything. Brandon and Timmy he could deal with. But Skye? _Oh, look at me. I'm a prince! Watch me swing my sword! I'm so smart and handsome. Look how pretty my girl is. She's a princess though her kingdom's been dead for years. I know! I'll name my ship after her. It'll be good luck._

"Thanks for jinxing us, asshole."

He found the gym in shambles. Equipment was thrown around to the point where he got a workout just navigating the obstacle course. He worked his way over to the locker room that connected to the showers. Flora was in the showers a moment ago. When he last saw her she was soaking wet and wearing a towel. _Hot!_

"Musa would kill me." He said to himself. "Like I care. I'll think about whatever I want. Not like she never fantasized about Skye or Brandon." He paused momentarily. "What do they see in those guys?" He was referring to Bloom and Stella. They were his best friends but boy were they one-dimensional. As least he was unpredictable, mysterious and full of surprises. Musa was the luckiest girl at Alfea.

"Hey, Flora." He said upon reaching the locker room. He hoped she was okay. He'd hate to find her lying unconscious and bleeding on the floor…in that towel… still wet…

"Geez!" Even he had to reprimand himself. What kind of man was he to be thinking that way at a time like this? Musa would definitely be pissed.

"Flora!" He called louder. "It's Riven."

A sound caught his attention. Half the lights were still out and one hung dangerously from loose wires. Making his way around the potentially dangerous accident, Riven moved toward the sound. "Hey, is that you?" he came up to a couple of benches sitting beside several overturned lockers. "What a mess." He said to himself.

Something touched him from behind.

For one unaccustomed to being caught off guard, Riven was indeed startled and when he turned brought up his hand to strike at the unknown assailant. Good thing his eyes were as fast as his hands because he stopped mere inches from breaking the beautiful fairy's face. Flora winced and closed her eyes. The attack sent a gust of air through her hair. Riven managed to stop himself but the force behind the attack was such that he had to pull his whole body back to prevent from hitting her and in doing so he stepped back and tripped over the nearest bench. Flora saw this, cried out, and tried to prevent him from falling. She grabbed him, but Riven was by far the heavier and wound up taking her along for the ride. She collapsed on top of him over the other side of the bench.

"Oh!" Said Flora.

Riven looked down on her. "You okay?" His concern was genuine. Her hair smelled divine and it intoxicated him. It took him a moment to realize how warm she was pressed up against him.

"I think so. You?"

"Uh-huh." _Red alert! Red alert! Do NOT go to phase two. I repeat, do NOT go to phase two._

"Sorry." Flora said.

"No it's…okay. Accidents happen."

"Yeah." She giggled.

A soft boot touched down next to them. Fairy and specialist looked up upon a pair of nice legs which led to dazzling red mini-skirt, exposed belly, red blouse and two very angry dark eyes. _Oh shit!_

"Hey, Musa." Flora said seemingly unaware of the forthcoming disaster.

"Musa!" Riven quickly shoved Flora off of him and she fell on her rump. He wanted to apologize but as of right now the only woman he should be focusing on was the one about to kill him. "I…uh…when did you…"

"Just now." She growled. "I see you found Flora."

"Actually she found me."

"I see." She crossed her arms. "And she wanted to properly thank the man who risked everything to save her?"

Flora got off the floor. "Musa, it wasn't like that. Riven tripped and I tried to help him but fell over instead. It was an accident."

"A very nice accident. What do say, Riven?" Musa glared at him. "Took you long enough to get up."

"Musa it's not," If she could only read my mind, he thought. Not long ago he was having impure dreams and now the Fates were punishing him for it. "She could have been hurt. Last time we saw her she was half naked and wet,"

"Funny how you remember that."

Riven mentally kicked himself. "I was worried about her."

"I see."

"Not like that!" He returned her glare. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the others at the hangar?"

"I thought you may need some help with the whole ship coming apart and all. I can see all you did was help _yourself_." Musa stormed away.

"Musa!" Riven called. "Dammit!" He chased after her.

Flora dusted herself off before shaking her head. "Love is complicated."

---

Prince Skye found Stella, Brandon and Layla in the hanger as he knew he would. Brandon was military-minded like himself. Seeking refuge is the most secure facility would be just the thing he would have thought of. Indeed the hangar looked as if nothing had happened at all and the shuttles were still clamped down while the supplies were tightly secured.

"You guys okay?"

Stella placed both hands on her hips and scolded Skye like he was a child. "Okay? We almost suffocated to death on this so-called vacation of yours. What were you thinking taking us on this suicidal detour?"

"She's fine." Brandon told Skye. "Layla inhaled a bit of smoke but she'll recover. The med bots are checking her right now." Indeed a pair of medical units were tending to Layla, one supplying her with a tank of gaze while the other tended to her minor burns. "How about you?"

"Tecna's trying to get our main systems back on line. Timmy and I left the bridge to search for the others." He looked around. "Where are the others?"

"Riven went to go look for Flora and Musa went after him. We haven't seen Bloom or Helia."

"I spoke to Bloom not too long ago. She was looking for you guys." Skye's brow furled. He hoped she was okay.

"What the hell happened?" Stella asked.

"Asteroids."

"What?!"

"They're interstellar rocks."

"I _know_ what they are!" She spat. "You took us into an asteroid field? Are you insane?" She looked to Brandon. "Is he insane?"

"They came up out of nowhere." Skye continued.

"How does that happen?"

"We're essentially blind in this nebula so Timmy and Tecna rigged our satellite to,"

"Never mind." She settled down. "How bad is it?"

"Tecna will let us know."

"Skye." All turned to Layla who pushed the little robots out of her way and tried to stand. Her legs were wobbly but she managed to stand and look at him. "I just want you to know that I blame you for all this."

"Layla?" Stella said.

"This is all your fault. Don't try to," She wobbled some more but held her ground. "Don't try to deny it. You got us into this. Save what little face you have left and get us out."

"I'm working on that, Layla. Believe me I'm really sorry."

"I hope none of us have paid the price for your apology." Her voice dripped with venom.

The door opened up. Enter Musa with Riven in tow. She seemed pissed; he seemed flustered; and not far behind came Flora looking as unrattled as ever. "Would you listen to me?"

"Shut it, Riven!"

"But,"

"I said shut it!" She turned on him and he half expected her to cast a spell. She almost did. "You've been nothing but a jerk since we boarded and I don't want to see you, talk to you, or even look at you ever again."

"You realize you're failing on all points right now?"

"Dammit!" She walked away from him.

"Shit! Stupid thing to say. I'm sorry, Musa. Can we just talk?"

"Drop dead!"

"Now what?" Brandon sighed.

"Guys, we have bigger problems here." Skye began.

"Where's Helia?" Flora became worried.

"He went to go paint somewhere." Stella answered.

"I'm sure he's fine." Brandon said. "Helia's the most resourceful guy I've ever met. One time during a mission he,"

Timmy's voice sounded out. "Skye!"

The prince picked up the mobile communicator in his hand. "Go ahead, Timmy."

"You'd better come down here. I've found Bloom and Helia."

Flora's eyes lit up. "Are they okay?"

Timmy didn't answer at first.

"Timmy?" Skye said.

"It's bad, Skye…"

---

**Cliffhanger! Nooooooooooo!**

**Heh. Heh. Heh.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Don't leave us in suspense!**

---

One hour later…

The medical ward was silent save for the rhythmic breathing of its three sole occupants. Prince Skye was unharmed other than a few cuts and bruises. The only part of his being that required aid of any sort was his conscience. Seeing Bloom and Helia as they were now, resting comfortably within translucent capsule beds, awoke a sense of guilt the likes of which he never encountered before. He was the reason his friends had nearly died. He was the reason why _she_ almost died. The one person who meant more to him than anything. _Bloom, I'm so sorry._

The door to the medical ward slid open and Riven entered the room. Skye had his back to him; the prince was sitting on a white chair between the two capsules sulking with his head hung over. Feeling for his friend, but otherwise displeased with him all the same, Riven walked up just behind him. He knew Skye was blaming himself for all that had happened to them. In a sense he was right to. It was his final decision that saw them traversing through a hostile region of space on a mission that they need not attempt with a ship that was ill-prepared for such a journey. Who could blame him for feeling the way he did? Layla and Stella wouldn't stop blaming him for everything and it was only through Brandon and Musa's console that the enraged fairies allowed themselves to be led quietly out the room before Skye joined Helia and Bloom in another capsule.

Riven wasn't in the habit of placing the blame of his misfortunes upon others. Nobody asked him to come on this trip. Hell, he was the one who suggested it! So in a manner of speaking he was the one responsible for this. But when you look at it from another angle it was Tecna who picked up Mister Icaran's signal in the first place which set into motion the chain of events that led to their traveling here. If that were the case then it was _her_ fault this happened. Then again, who told Helia to go off by himself? Why didn't Bloom just stay in the pool? Why didn't Riven just keep his big mouth shut?! Not like Musa would have protested to a picnic in the forest over a cruise.

Through with contemplating who to blame, Riven spoke to Skye in as friendly a voice as he could muster. "They're going to live, man."

Skye shook his head. "This is all my fault."

_Well technically yeah but…stop it! Not now, okay, not now!_

"Skye, you did your best. Getting us through that asteroid field in one piece was nothing short of brilliant."

"They almost didn't make it."

"But they did." Riven looked from Helia to Bloom and found them looking healthier than when he had last saw them. "They'll survive and be back on their feet in no time. You'll see."

"If you're trying to cheer me up it's not working, Riv."

"Well I could beat you up for it but it looks like you're doing a good job of that all by yourself."

"Don't do this."

"Believe me," Riven walked towards Helia's capsule and laid back against the wall. "I wouldn't be my first choice either, but everyone else was busy so it fell to me to bring you back to reality."

"And what is reality?" Skye did not look up from the floor.

"That what happened, happened and there's no going back now."

"Maybe we should just turn back."

"And have as much trouble traversing that asteroid field as we did before? No thanks! Besides, we wouldn't last in our condition. _Sparx_ is barley holding together as it is."

"Dammit!" Skye came up so fast his chair fell over. He grabbed at his hair, pacing back and forth as if in pain. "I was so stupid!"

"This whole thing was my idea, remember?"

"But you're not responsible for everyone."

"Which is why you're the leader. You know I don't take responsibility very well."

"I'm a specialist. I'm supposed to protect people."

"Last I checked Helia was a specialist too. Didn't do a good job protecting Bloom though."

Skye stopped pacing. His normally pristine blue eyes fixated Riven with a harsh glare. "Don't blame him, Riven. Helia would have done everything possible to rescue Bloom."

"From the looks of it, he needed her to rescue him." Riven spared a glance at Bloom. "For what little it did her. She _is_ human afterall."

"What does that mean?"

"It means she's not indestructible. Look Skye, you and I are warriors. We fight using our hands, our wits and our weapons. We don't rely on magical powers to see us through a fight or to keep us alive. We learned a long time ago that we are only mortal, capable of being harmed or even killed should the situation prove too much for us to handle. Bloom and the girls aren't like that. They're fairies. They depend on magic for everything. Not to say they aren't good with their hands or anything but when it comes down to it they're completely reliant on their winx. To them, magic can solve anything, protect them from anything, prevent bad things from happening to those they love. But we know different, don't we Skye?"

The ex-thief continued in what he hoped would snap Skye out of his brooding cloud. "We know how easily bones can be broken. How flesh can been burned. How a body can be rendered in two. We know because every time we go out on a mission it could be our last. You don't know how many times I've wondered whether I wouldn't be coming home, that this time I would die in some gruesome way. I know you've thought the same things I have. So do Brandon, Timmy and Helia. Our profession doesn't leave room from notions of invincibility because we face our mortality everyday."

"Is there a point to this?" Skye wasn't in the mood for some lecture; least of all from Riven.

"My point is," Riven stressed. "Is that you've seemed to have forgotten that Bloom's no more invulnerable to harm than you or I. Think about it. She wields the Dragonfire and her friends have powers over different elements and energies. They seem indestructible, but they're not. The girls have been hurt many times before and will continue on being hurt in the future." He took a step towards Skye. "You can't protect her all the time, Skye. Despite our sworn duty to protect others we cannot always be there to save the day. Sometimes bad things go down and there's nothing we can do to stop them. Bloom and Helia were hurt, but they'll survive. How many other people can say the same thing?"

"But they were hurt because of me!"

"Really? So you were the one who caused that conduit to rupture? You're the reason Bloom and Helia were almost burned to death after an asteroid struck the port side near where they were standing?"

"I'm the one who took us on this mission."

"It's your duty as a specialist to combat evil wherever it is."

"But it's not theirs."

"And what of all those who will die if we do nothing?"

"We could have alerted the authorities."

"How many stellograms of oblivium would have been mined before they had a chance to put a stop to it? Do you want another Numibian War?"

"No. It's just,"

"We're about to save lives, Skye."

"At what cost to those we care about?"

"They'll understand." Riven said. "The girls, I mean. They're a little pissed right but now but will come around when they realize the good we're doing here. It's no different than when we fought the witches at the Battle of Alfea nor when we raided the Under Realm. It was dangerous and any of us could have died but we did what we had to do and saved millions in the process. The Trix and Lord Darkar may have been evil, but I know from experience that there are just as many wicked people without powers out there. If they get their hands on this that dangerous ore then there's no telling how many Icys or Stormys or Darcys or Darkars we will have to fight in the future. This will probably be our most important mission yet."

There was a moment of silence. Riven knew he was trying to justify this operation to Skye but to himself as well. That could very well have been Musa inside that capsule. They didn't like each other very much lately but that doesn't mean he didn't care about her. Should anything happen to her or anyone else on this mission that resulted in their demise then there had to be justification to it all.

Prince Skye spoke up. "Do you really believe that, Riven?"

"I have to." He said.

"Why?"

"Because if the situation was reversed and it was Musa lying in that capsule I know you'd be doing the same thing to me."

Skye actually cracked a smile. "It's never easy being the leader is it?"

"That's why I leave all the big decision making to you."

"You're welcome to it anytime."

"Nah. Just call me when you need to bust some heads. It's all I'm good for."

"No. You're a pretty good friend too." Skye's face beamed. "Thanks, Riven."

"Just don't go all sappy on me again. You know how I hate making speeches."

"Funny considering you never have any problem voicing your opinion."

"It's a free universe last time I checked." Riven put his hands in his pocket and exited the room. "See ya."

Outside the medical ward, Brandon was awaiting Riven's return. He had been standing by the wall with his leg propped up and his arms folded when the doors sealed shut. Overhearing the entire conversation he had with Skye, Brandon's smile was one of profound admiration. "Couldn't have done a better job myself bro."

"Next time you cheer him up." Riven told him. Brandon joined him and together they walked down the hall. "Making people feel better is not one of my favorite things to do."

"Did a good job from what I heard."

"It's doing the really tough things what makes a man a man."

"Did you come up with that all by yourself?"

"It's something you learn while living on the streets. Gotta grow up real fast there."

Brandon held his tongue for a moment. He had to remind himself that Riven was an orphan who had never had the luxury of a good home or a family. How much of his childhood had he left behind on those dark streets from whence he came?

"Heh." Brandon chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Riven was angry that he'd take his previous comment as a joke.

"Nothing."

"Then why the laugh?"

"It's just that I realized something."

"And what's that?"

"That despite all your tough guy exterior you're just a good kid trying to find a place to belong."

"Watch it, smartass."

"In a way I envy you. Only you can truly appreciate what the rest of us have taken for granted. Friends, family, a place to call home. You care more about this than any of us, do you?"

Riven turned away. "Shut it."

"I knew it. You're a softy inside."

"Piss off!" Riven stormed away. "I'm not a little kid, alright!"

Brandon watched him leave and quietly said. "No, Riven. You're more of an adult than any of us realize."

---

Layla found the door to her room frozen halfway open with a large metal beam fallen on the other side. Stepping over it she entered her quarters which like every other room on this ship was a complete mess. Her bed was on the opposite side of the room while several of her clothes lay sprawled around from overturned drawers. Giving in to the reality that there was no way she'd clean this up anytime soon, Layla just sat down on her bed and lay down her weary head. Her injuries were minor save a few burns and a lack of oxygen but her body was tired from all the stress and she just wanted to get some sleep.

Kicking off her shoes, the fairy pulled her whole body onto the bed and tried to find a comfortable position. The crew had left the rest of damage control to the ship's robotic staff and seeing as how most of the serious damage had been repaired it provided Layla and the others a chance for rest. She was not letting that time go to waste and proceeded to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Resting her head on the mattress; her pillow had disappeared somewhere and she wasn't in the mood to go looking for it, Layla began to drift into a troubled sleep.

She had only been sleeping for a few minutes when her subconscious realized that she wasn't alone. Suddenly awake, Layla saw a figure sitting on the edge of her bed. "Who's there?" She asked.

"Just me." Came Musa's empty voice.

"Musa?" She sat up. "What's wrong?"

Musa had been sitting with her back to Layla, her eyes gazing emotionlessly at the bare wall. Even in this darkness it would be easy to make out the bags that were forming beneath her eyes. "Just looking for a place to rest." She spoke in a dreary manner like someone refusing to believe a loved one has passed away.

"What about your room?"

"It's not there anymore."

Layla bit back a gasp. "W-what do you mean?"

"Direct hit took out that entire part of the ship. Deck was sealed off. My quarters were on that deck." Her head lowered. "My saxophone was in those quarters. I had a lot of nice things in there."

"Musa." Layla embraced her from behind. "I'm so sorry."

"S'okay." Musa said. "They were just things."

"But they were important to you."

"So long as everyone else is alright that's good enough for me."

Something in Musa's tone worried her greatly. She was usually so vibrant and full of life. Now she sounded defeated like nothing else mattered anymore. Was there something else bothering her? She moved to the side so that she could look at Musa in the face. "What's wrong, girl?"

Musa did not turn to her or acknowledge her taking her sweaty-palmed hand into hers. She just stared at the wall as if somehow that was the thing she was having a conversation with. "I was sad at first you know? But then I thought, 'it could have been worse. What if I was inside when the hull ruptured? Then I would be dead right now. But I'm not dead which means everything is all right.'" A strange smile appeared on her face. "That's all that matters, right? Living. Nothing's more important than living."

"It would have been horrible if you died, Musa." Layla had to be honest. "I'm sorry if this hurts but I'd rather you lose your saxophone than your life. You're important to us. If anything happened to you or any of the other girls I'd," She paused. "I don't know what I'd do."

"Why?" Musa lowered her gaze to the floor.

"Because you guys are my best friends. You took me in and treated me like a sister. I could never ask for anything more than what you've given me."

"It was a really nice sax."

"Musa!" Layla stood up before her and shook her. "What's wrong? I don't like seeing you like this. Talk to me!"

"I'm tired, Layla." Musa said finally admitting her presence. "Can I…can I sleep here?"

"Of course you can. But Musa,"

"Thank you." Musa climbed onto the bed and laid herself out to sleep. She turned her back on Layla and huddled together as if cold. Musa said nothing more after that.

Layla watched her for several seconds. Looking back on all that had happened it was no wonder Musa was taking this so hard. Right now she needed a friend and Layla would do her absolute best to fill that role.

It took her a while to remember how tired she was and she laid down next to Musa and closed her eyes. Both fairies were soon whisked away to dreamland, leaving the wreckage of their twisted reality behind them.

---

"Tecna, you read me?"

"_Coming in loud and clear, Timmy."_

"At least our comms are working. What's the status on that new bulkhead?"

"_The repair bots are eighty-seven percent complete on the task. Reports are coming in about a coolant leak on deck four but it's already been contained and the sealing process has already begun. How's it look out there?"_

"Could be worse. Most of the ship's still intact though parts of it still peel off here and there."

"_Careful you don't get hit by any debris."_

"I'll be fine, Tec. Just make sure you give me a heads up on any incoming objects. I sure don't want to be out here when the shooting gallery starts."

"_You'll have plenty of warning. Just watch yourself out there. I don't want anything to happen to you."_

Timmy smiled beneath his helmet. "So long as you're waiting for me I'd brave a collapsing star."

"_Just come back in one piece, hotshot. Tecna out."_

Were Timmy's smile any wider his helmet would explode. This was the closest he and Tecna had come to flirting in a long while and it felt good. While he never had been referred to as hotshot, which was more Brandon's forte, to have a beautiful young woman worry about his well-being made him feel like…well, a man! Not that it takes a woman to justify who and what a man really is, Timmy was mature enough to know that. But the years of puppy love and school crushes were long past and it's time he started seeking a more serious relationship. Tecna was the kind of girl Timmy had fantasized about since he was a kid. Someday soon perhaps they'll be more than just close friends.

For now he put his musings to the side and concentrated on the task at hand. Igniting his thrusters, Timmy positioned himself along the stem of the ship to scope out the engines. One of them was completely out of commission and small particles of plasma leaked out leaving a trail back to the asteroid field. He'd have to send some droids to deal with that problem soon. Even in his space suit Timmy would be exposed to dangerous amounts of plasma radiation should he venture too close. He typed in an order on his external keypad, the process taking much longer than usual thanks to his gloved hands and the fact that he was in zero gravity. A confirmation signal confirmed his message had been received and soon enough a group of repair droids were converging on the engine with torches.

With internal repairs underway, Timmy decided to check out the external damage. His white suit, while similar to those used by the humans of Earth, was centuries ahead of any technology used by that planet. It was like having one's own personal starship complete with engines, minor shielding, a view screen and lavatory should life's little emergencies show up at an unwelcome time.

Moving around he witnessed several more breeches in key areas of the ship. The robot repair droids were doing an excellent job at sealing them up but they were still looking at a full overhaul when they returned to Eraklyon. The king would not be pleased when he saw what became of his prized yacht. Timmy did not think he would see Skye again for at least a year as that's how long his father would ground him. The worse his parents had ever done was take away his upgrade cards for his computer. Of course for Timmy that was like taking away his favorite toy. Funny how preferences differed between people.

It wasn't long before he reached the observatory where Helia had been trapped earlier. The shields had given out and there was a gaping hole where the chamber once was. To think his friend almost died there. Had Bloom not rescued him there would be one less person in their bunk at Red Fountain. "Damn." He said to himself.

"_Something wrong?"_ Tecna's voice asked. Apparently she had never terminated their connection.

"The observatory's scrapped." He said. "It's a wonder Helia survived there as long as he did."

"_A good thing Bloom was there to save him. That girl is always saving people I tell you."_

"Has there been any change?" He was referring to their condition. Timmy had been the one to find them lying unconscious in one of the halls. Their skins had been badly burned but somehow they had managed to survive the worst of the blast. Their faces were still intact and only the surface of their skin had been singed by the steam. A little time in sick bay would fix those blemishes in no time. But the mental wounds would take more time to heal, Timmy realized. Especially for Bloom. Many a time had Timmy or Helia or one of the other guys ended up in the emergency room due to a harrowing injury. Bloom had been hurt before but never had her body been scarred so. It may take her some time to get over it.

"_Their recovery is coming along quite nicely. It wouldn't surprise me if they woke up right now."_ Something in Tecna's voice told Timmy she was being extremely optimistic. Of course he wanted them to be back on their feet as soon as possible but with the way things are it was hard to look on the bright side. That was one of the things he loved about Tecna. That, and everything else.

"I'm sure they will. So what say that when they do wake up it'll be to an up and running ship?"

"_I'm all for it."_

"I'm going to check up front. I have a feeling the asteroids bloodied up our nose a bit. Keep me posted on any updates, kay?"

"_Affirmative. Tecna out."_

Timmy knew she still kept their comm. open and so made it a point to be careful of what he said. No sense frightening the girl any further.

The "nose" of the ship was not just bloodied but bent into a crooked shape. It was split right down the middle and Timmy could see the inside. This was a storage compartment preceding the viewing deck where observers could catch a first-hand glimpse of approaching stars and planets. That deck had been pancaked. So flat was it that Timmy did not believe a bug could squeeze through there. Inside the fractured nose several boxes and supplies floated about, a few seeping their way out of the ship.

Timmy caught one in his hands; a small box containing new china. He fumbled it in his hands and in doing so unwittingly forced the lid open and several of its contents came flying out. The forks, spoons, knives and dishes fled to deep space where they would travel for unknowing eternities within the nebula.

A beautiful pearl-white dish was caught by Timmy's outstretched hand. He found himself admiring the smooth glass texture finding it so pristine that he could see himself as clearly as if it were a mirror. He smiled at his image, realizing that he looked no worse for the wear considering what he'd been through. Timmy prized good hygiene though not to the extent of looking like a pretty boy. He wondered how Tecna's face would feel on his?

He blushed. His reflection turned red. Then it turned white. Pure white. So white it almost blinded him.

Squinting, Timmy wondered if the plate had somehow caught the reflection of a star when he turned around and…saw…it.

Tecna's voice came through. _"Timmy, there's a planet up ahead. Bearing,"_

"I see it, Tec." Timmy was transfixed by the sight. "No way to miss that."

The planet was pure white, a sharp contrast to the deep purple of the nebula. Like a massive pearl caught in the cloth of space it pulsed with a near blinding light that grew brighter the closer they came. It was white…so white.

"_According to the coordinates, this is the planet we've been looking for. Timmy, I'm going to call Skye. Get back in here on the double. You read?"_

"Gotcha." Timmy released the plate and turned his thrusters on. With all haste he made for the nearest airlock.

---

Tecna's voice over the intercom awoke Layla from bed. She called for everyone to meet in the ready room and the urgency in which she implied suggested something was definitely up.

"Musa, we have to," She stopped. Musa was gone.

"Musa?" She looked around the room but found nobody. Musa must have left for some reason. But why? Where would she go? Certainly not to her quarters. Perhaps she was hungry and went to eat something. In such a case she must be in the cafeteria. Fixing her hair as best she could, Layla put on her shoes and entered the hallway.

The cafeteria was empty save a few dishes with only half-eaten food. Cursing, Layla decided to check the sound stage but that area had been sealed off due to extensive damage. Frustrated, Layla found the nearest comm. system. "Tecna. It's me. Can you tell me where Musa is?"

"_Internal sensors are still down at the moment. I'm sure she'll be making her way to the ready room which is where you should be to. I'll meet you down there. Tecna out."_

_Well you're no help._

Layla begrudgingly complied and headed for the ready room where everyone was accounted for with the exception of Timmy, Tecna – and of course, Musa.

"Has anyone seen Musa?"

Stella looked at her. "Isn't she with you?"

"I haven't seen her since the hanger." Flora told her.

"She's missing." Layla said. "She stayed in my room and when I woke up she wasn't there."

Riven raised his face from the floor. "Why would she go to your room?"

"Because her quarters were destroyed during the asteroid field. She had nowhere else to go."

"Poor thing." Flora sighed.

"She's probably in the ladies' room." Riven said. "No need to worry."

Layla's eyes narrowed at him. "That is why she came to me and not you, Riven."

"My door's always open to her."

"Too bad your heart isn't." Layla muttered beneath her breath. She didn't much like Riven at all but now was not the time to be getting into an argument. "I'll go look for her. You can fill me in when I get back."

Riven shook his head. "I'll go."

"Thanks but no thanks."

"I wasn't asking your permission."

"I don't think Musa wants to see you now."

"We'll see about that."

"Don't start with me, Riven."

"Guys, please." Flora pleaded. "Don't fight now. We have bigger things to worry about."

"Like Musa." Layla said. "I have to find her. Something was wrong with her and I have to find out what."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Why do you care?" She asked Riven.

"Because I do."

"Whatever."

"Guys!" Prince Skye yelled. "We do not have time for this."

"I have to find Musa."

"I'll do it."

"She doesn't want you."

"Why don't we let her decide that?"

"Why don't you shut your damn mouth?!"

"Enough!" Slamming a hand on the table, Skye silenced both bickering parties. Through clenched teeth he stood up and his words held no patience for belligerence. "Two of our friends nearly died today. The fact that the two of you have yet to put aside your animosity toward each other and fight while they lay unconscious in the sick bay dishonors them both. Is this what Bloom or Helia would have wanted? Is this what they almost died for? Now unless you want to be confined to quarters I suggest you both shut your mouths for the rest of the meeting and if that doesn't work you can join Mister Icaran in the brig for the remainder of the mission. Am I understood?"

Riven looked at Skye with newfound respect. Finally he was acting like a leader. "Understood."

Skye turned to the fairy, his eyes daring her to challenge his authority. Layla sighed. "Fine." Then she turned and walked out the door.

"Where are you going?" Skye demanded of her.

"To look for my friend. That way I won't disturb your little powwow." She disappeared before the prince could reprimand her any further.

"That girl's got some major 'tude' issues." Stella said.

Brandon nudged her with his arm as a subtle signal to keep her comments to herself but Stella was never one for subtlety and she sure wasn't one who was afraid to voice her opinion.

"You know, Skye, you should lock those two up in a room and let them fight it out. Personally I think Layla would win for sure but at least Riven will give her a few bruises to take her down a notch." She smiled over at Riven. "Better be careful, Riven, it sounds like Layla is going to steal Musa away from you."

"Hmph." Riven headed for the exit as well.

"Get back here!" Skye ordered.

"Your woman is safe." Riven said from outside the doorway. "I'm going to find mine." Then he too was gone.

Exasperated, Skye collapsed onto his seat. "What good is the chain of command when nobody else will follow it?"

Stella leaned in close to Brandon so that only he would hear. "Bets on who will find Musa first?"

"Riven's an excellent tracker."

"But Layla's got winx."

"I'm sticking with my boy."

"If you lose you owe me a soda."

"Deal."

Flora, who had been silent for the majority of the exchange, had overheard their bet and stomped her foot down angrily. "Stop it! Things are bad enough without you two making light of the situation!"

The couple gasped at her outburst. Even Skye was startled. Normally Flora was quiet and timid. Her sweet exterior morphed into one of anger. "Musa could be hurt and you take it as a joke? What kind of friends are you? I can't believe you would act like this."

"Chill, girl. Brandon and were just,"

"Acting like jerks!"

"Hold on!" Stella got up and Flora did the same. "Watch who you're talking to Miss Peaches and Cream."

"I'm not afraid of you, Stella."

"You should be. Trees rely on the sun to survive in case you didn't know."

"Don't pretend to understand my powers better than I do."

"What happened? Struck a nerve?"

"Skye!" Brandon cried as he placed himself between the feuding fairies. He gently held Stella in check while preventing Flora from moving in any closer. "Little commanding here."

_What's the use if they won't listen?_ Skye shook his head. If Bloom were around she'd have everyone working together as a team. He only made things worse. His ship was falling apart, his friends were at each other's throats and his girlfriend was lying in a near-death state. All this and they have yet to reach their objective. _Bloom, why aren't you here?_

The door opened as Timmy and Tecna arrived at exactly the same time. They were looking behind themselves, nearly bumped into one another, paused, then looked inside at the gathered party. When they spoke it was in unison.

Timmy: "I just saw Riven going…"

Tecna: "I just saw Layla heading…"

They stopped after noticing the tense mood their friends were in. "What's going on?" They asked as one.

"You tell us." Stella, who was still growling at Flora, said as she turned to them. "You're the ones who wanted us here." Thankfully she sat down to Brandon's relief. He watched Flora go to the other side of the room where she made it a point to keep Stella in her glaring eyes without looking away from Timmy or Tecna.

Tecna was the first to speak again. "Is everything alright? Layla looked awfully mad when she stormed off. She didn't even acknowledge me as she passed by."

"Same with Riven. Though he did snort in my direction."

"It's been a long day." Brandon said.

"Too long." Skye rubbed his sore temples. "What do you have for us?"

"We've reached the coordinates to the planet Mister Icaran has given us." Tecna announced. "From what I can tell it only has one moon; a planetoid which we can use to hide in case anyone is scanning for incoming ships on the surface. I've already set a course for the moon and am awaiting further orders." Her tone was very professional…a welcomed sound to Skye who had been dealing with uncooperative crewmates for the past several hours. Funny how she and Timmy seemed to be the only ones keeping it together.

"So what now, bro?" Brandon asked.

"Now we get on with the mission." He looked up. "Are our scanners working?"

"Only short range. I can tell you when a ship is approaching but nothing else." Timmy answered.

Skye began to think. "Timmy, I want you to prep a shuttle for launch. We need to find out what's going on down there. We'll need to be ready for arctic temperatures and possible hostile contacts. Have Brandon help you with the preparations. Tecna, try to get those scanners back on line as soon as possible and keep us in a steady orbit behind the moon. I don't want anyone knowing we're here without our say so."

"Got it. Brandon?" Timmy nodded. Brandon patted Stella on the shoulder before following Timmy out with Tecna shortly following. Skye then turned towards the two remaining fairies.

"Flora head to sick bay and keep an eye on Helia and Bloom. Let me know the minute their status changes. For better or for worse." Then his eyes fell on Stella. "You go after Layla and help her find Musa if you can."

She raised her arms into the air. "Why not? I love hanging out with the unfriendliest of people." She looked at him. "And what will you be doing oh wise leader?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I'm going after Riven. He and I need to have a talk."

"My money's on him." Stella said.

"Stella!"

"I'm going, I'm going." She left the room with a chuckle and Flora not far behind.

"Skye." Flora said at the exit. He turned to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act like that. It's just Stella can make me so made sometimes."

"We're all agitated right now. You were just venting like the rest of us. Go take care of our friends. I can think of no one better."

The fairy nodded and complied with his orders.

Alone at last, Prince Skye sat down on the edge of the table. "Whatever gods are listening, please hear my prayer. Help me see my friends through to the end so that they may come out in one piece. This I ask of you as the Prince of Eraklyon."

---

**Usually shout outs are given at the beginning of a chapter but I've changed the format to just a few short words at the beginning of a chapter.**

**TheFreakyVoiceInYourHead: I don't think it's possible to kill a cliffhanger and can Riven help being a guy?**

**PhoebeTheQueenOfDragons: Glad to have you on the edge of your set (your spelling not mine) LOL.**

**Tears-in-Rain: I thought the Musa/Riven/Flora scene was funny as well. I asked myself what better way to throw another wrench into their gears?**

**SnowCharms: Charmix coming up real soon.**

**Kittycats1992: Here's More!**

**DayDreamer9: Will Musa and Riven make up at all? (snickers!)**

**SlvrTempest: Indeed hell has broken loose and unless you've got the key and chain I don't see it being locked away again anytime soon.**

**LadyNightSky: Ah, my lady, your praise is worth writing a hundred chapters for a hundred stories!**

**Lunariagirl33: Updates are cool, right?**

**To Akkalia, Musa Rox, Angelgrl31392 and Chibi Horsewoman, thank you for reading my story and I hope to hear from you again.**

**I won't be updating for the next three weeks as I'll be visiting China starting next weekend. Hope this chapter will hold you over until I get back.**

**Thank you one and all.**

**-To my fans and friends!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Bout time you got back!**

---

"Musa!" Layla's voice carried down the wrecked hall. "Musa! Where are you?"

She didn't really expect Musa to answer, but somehow felt it would comfort the fairy to know that somebody was looking for her. Last time they met, Musa's spirit seemed to have left her body. She guessed it had something to do with losing her prized saxophone. A direct hit from a rogue asteroid demolished her quarters, either flattening the instrument or sending it pummeling into deep space. That saxophone was as part of Musa as was her heart. Layla couldn't even imagine what must be going through her head right now. All she knew is that she had to find Musa.

The search had taken her to the more damaged parts of the ship in which several little droids rushed about making repairs. The _Sparx_ had barely made it through the debris field. She was broken – devastated.

Like Musa.

She feared for her friend's well being and nothing would stop her from finding her. Even if it meant daring the collapsed inner hulls of the ship.

A brief spark caught her attention and she saw a shadow move. Believing it to be Musa, Layla turned to the shadow but found it only to be a droid sealing a cracked compartment. Her heart fell. If something had happened to Musa she didn't know what she'd do. She was her first true friend in a long time. She treated Layla like a sister. To lose Musa would be like losing a part of herself.

She couldn't let that happen again.

"Musa!" The princess continued on her way.

Then another princess made the scene. "Hey, Layla. Wait up."

"Stella?" Layla turned around.

The Solarian approached Layla with worried steps. "Any luck?"

"No. I'm really worried about her. She was a mess last time I saw her."

"Where could she have gone?"

"She lost her saxophone, Stella."

The statement made Stella gasp. "Oh no!"

"We have to find her. Help me look."

"That's what I'm here for." Stella said.

Layla turned her back on Stella and began walking. "Did Skye tell you to follow me?"

"Yeah. That guy's got his hands full right about now."

"He's such an ass. Because of him we nearly got killed."

"Chill, girl. I agree that Skye's masculine sense of duty got the better of him this time, but he can't help being a hero."

"Heroes don't put their friends in danger."

"Hello! We're the Winx Club. We get ourselves into trouble all the time. Why you should have been with us freshmen year. We got into all kinds of situations where I thought,"

"Not now, Stella."

"Wha…" Stella paused.

"Let's just find Musa and get out of this place."

"This place is the only thing between us and an open vacuum."

"It's a death trap."

"If you say so."

Layla shook her head. "Look either help me find Musa or leave!"

"Okay! Okay!" Stella gave in. She couldn't help it. Being the fairy of the sun, she always tried to shine some light on the situation. It was her nature. "Musa, where are you?" Putting her hands to form a cup around her mouth, Stella joined her voice to Layla's. "Musa."

"Musa!" The other girl's voice was louder. "Musa!"

Had they bothered to shut up and listen they would have heard someone sobbing nearby. Musa was not far from their current position but she did not intend to reveal herself. Taking comfort in the shadows, Musa huddled her legs to her chest and hugged them. She was so sad. She needed someone but could not bring herself to speak.

---

"Riven."

Sighing, the redhead turned around to face the angry blonde-haired boy. "What?"

"Ever heard of the chain of command?"

"Ever heard of personal space?" Riven said taking a step back from Skye who had the nerve to get in his face.

"I don't need your crap now, Riven. We've too much to deal with already."

"Such is the fate of heroes."

"Riven."

"Skye."

The prince had learned long ago not to get into these petty arguments with a guy who had the standards of a gerbil. Looking away to collect himself, Skye turned back with a calm demeanor. "Look, just tell what your issue is this time?"

"I'm going to find my girlfriend. Got a problem with that?"

"Layla and Stella are on it. I need you to help us prep for the mission."

"You've got enough hands for that."

"The girls aren't trained for this kind of operation, Riven. You, Timmy and Brandon are all I've got to rely on. One of us is lying unconscious in the medical ward which means more responsibility for the rest of us. Now can I count on you?"

Riven seemed insulted. "Like I've ever let you down before. How can you question me now?"

"I seem to recall a time when you turned your back on your friends for the sake of some witch." Skye said that more harshly than he intended and regretted it the moment he did. The look on Riven's face changed slightly from that of defiance to hurt. This was not how a captain was supposed to act and Skye berated himself for it. "Shit. Riven, I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault."

Shaking his head, "No…it was."

"I have no right to insult your honor. I know you're a good man, reliable in a pinch. But I need to know everything's alright with you." He softened his pose. "What's wrong?"

Riven grit his teeth. "It's all my fault."

"I thought we agreed that what you did with Darcy was,"

"I mean all this." He motioned to the dimly-lit hallway they were in. "I'm the one who suggested we go on this trip and now look where we are. Now the _Sparx_ is in shambles, we're cut off from the outside world and Musa is missing. Something tells me this is only going to get worse."

"Always darkest before the dawn." Skye quoted.

"Piss off, Skye."

"Take it easy. This has been a rough time for all of us. But we'll get through this. We always have before."

"I just don't like being the cause of so much suffering." Riven balanced himself on a nearby wall using an outstretched hand while he hung his head. "I've had enough of that back on the streets."

Prince Skye, or rather Captain Skye, placed his hands behind his back. With two long steps he walked past Riven and toward the nearest window. The glow of the planet could just be made from beyond the horizon of the moon. It was beautiful; as if waiting for the sun to rise up out of the darkness. This brought back the quote Skye had mentioned before. "Check this out, Riven."

Riven looked up to where Skye was standing. Slowly he walked over to him and waited for clarification.

"What do you see out there?"

He looked. "A planetoid orbiting a giant ball of ice. A purple nebula. Various debris coming off the hull of the ship." He gazed at Skye. "Why?"

"How many people can say they traveled through a nebula and lived to tell about it?" Was Skye's retort. "We just did something they never taught us to do back at school. We probably secured our own chapter in the records books for accomplishing such a feat."

"Your point, Skye."

"We've had to face a lot of difficult tasks since we joined Red Fountain. We've made tough choices and friends got hurt. You know I actually regretted when Codatorta made me team leader. I switched my name with Brandon's so I could get away from responsibility, but instead had it thrust upon me once again. Being a leader meant that my decisions would decide the fate of others. People would follow me even if that meant their deaths. While you guys are capable fighters, I loathe putting you in a dangerous situation. Each time I do I keep reminding myself it's what we've been trained for."

Skye sighed. "But not the girls. Still, they that doesn't stop them from trying to do the right thing. I admire that about them. Bloom, Stella, they're all incredible young women."

"Skye…"

The prince faced his friend, his arms at his sides. "Remember that talk you gave me back in the medical ward? When I was beating myself over what happened to Bloom? Well you were right. I thought about what you said when you left and I realized that as much as it hurt to see Bloom and Helia in those capsules, they would never hesitate to risk their own lives to save others. When I asked you what you saw out in the window a moment ago, I didn't mean it in the literal sense. Where you see a nebula and fragments of a decaying ship I see the price for fighting the forces of evil."

Skye's face became deathly serious. "I too read his book, Riven. Lysander Huxley's words haunted my dreams when I read about the atrocities of the Numibian War. I could never let something like that happen again, not when I have the power to stop it. The _Sparx_ has gotten us this far. It would be dishonorable to put her sacrifice to shame if we don't go through with this."

Riven mentally scoffed. The ship was an inanimate object made of durasteel and tritanium alloy. Yet Skye thought of it as a living entity. Animate or not, she was the only thing keeping them alive right now. The ship held out far better than any of them could have hoped and he was sure Timmy and Tecna can get it up and running again. The question was, what was Skye getting at? Riven didn't care for rallies or pep talks or inspiring speeches of any sort; but Skye did. Perhaps it came with being raised a monarch. One needed to know how to inspire a crowd. Riven grew up depending on nobody but himself and his skill. Until he met the guys, of course; and the Winx Club…and Musa.

"I need…to find her." Riven spoke slowly.

"And I need you to help see this mission through." He grabbed Riven's shoulders. This time he didn't brush Skye away. "Look, I'll have a group of droids help in the search. Would that be okay?"

Riven looked up. "But the repairs?"

"The _Sparx_ will hold together. Trust me, you helped modify her. In the meantime, Musa is more important. In fact, once we're done with our appointed tasks I'll have the entire crew look for her. Layla said she saw her not too long ago. There aren't many places Musa could have gone. She's probably hiding somewhere to clear her head. We've all done the same thing more than once. But look inside yourself, Riven. What does your heart tell you? Is Musa okay?"

Riven did listen to his heart. All it said was, _thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump_, but he did get the metaphorical meaning behind Skye's suggestion. "I…I…I'm not sure."

Skye pulled back.

"I know she's alive…but I think there's something wrong with her. Don't ask me how I know that. I just do."

Prince Skye lowered his head as he walked around Riven. When a boy and a girl were around each other long enough they did develop a special connection. He believed he and Bloom had the same thing, but at least he knew where Bloom was. Skye didn't think he would be able to function properly had he not known Bloom's whereabouts. Riven's feelings for Musa were true. So was he right in preventing him from finding her? What would Bloom do?

"No." Riven said and Skye looked about. "Y…you're right. I need to help Timmy and Brandon prepare for launch. Layla will find Musa. She probably doesn't want to see me anyway."

"Riven,"

"I'll be in the hangar." Riven turned abruptly and made way for the nearest access tube.

When he left, Skye realized his speech had had the opposite affect. Much like Riven did for him earlier, Skye wanted to lift his spirits by telling him it wasn't his fault. But Riven always kept his feelings bottled up. He was hurting for Musa, because of everything he did, but he couldn't express it. Had he gone looking for Musa and found her he would only have agitated her further and gods know what else would have happened between those two. He wasn't too keen on having Layla perform the search, but at least Musa would approach her and Stella would serve as a good anchor for emotional outbursts. But Riven would much prefer to avoid such confrontation and instead would hide his heart behind his work. He would help Brandon and Timmy if only to forget about Musa for the time being. All these years and still nothing's changed.

But there was only so much he could do. Riven was stubborn and Skye still had a job to do. But maybe there was something else to all this. Perhaps, Skye thought, Riven was just better at pep talks than he was.

---

Musa crept through the darkness like an insect avoiding the light. She'd forgotten how long she'd been doing this; time seemed to stretch on when a part of you was lost forever, but what she did recall was where she was heading. Sickbay was not far from here and Musa was indeed very sick and although her illness was not something that mere medicines could hope to cure, her senses had automatically carried her this far.

The doors opened and Musa stepped in. "Oh…" She stuttered.

Flora was sitting with her back to the door when Musa entered. The brunette turned to Musa and almost jumped out of her chair. "Musa!"

"F-Flo…" She didn't finish; and she turned to leave.

"Wait!" Flora managed to cover the distance between them rather quickly but it was the softness of her voice that stopped Musa from leaving. That sweet, innocent voice, filled with genuine concern, suddenly halted Musa and she knew that if there was anyone she could have talked too who would not judge or takes sides…it was Flora.

"Sweetie, wait."

But Musa wasn't going anywhere. She kept her back to Flora but stood in the middle of the doorway, the doors remaining open due to her proximity. Flora made an attempt to touch her but stopped. She was very sensitive to other's feelings and the troubled aura she received from Musa was enough to give her pause. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just tired, Flo. I…I need some rest."

"Why don't you lay down and I'll get you something to drink?"

"…that would be nice." Musa admitted.

Moments later, the dark-haired fairy was laying down on her back on one of the medical beds. Across from her were Bloom and Helia, still unconscious within the capsules. Flora gave Musa a drink of water which she hurriedly ingested before asking for another. She was down to her fourth cup when Flora decided to speak up again. "Want to talk about it?"

She needed to.

"I lost my saxophone, Flora."

There was silence…followed by a whimper. "I'm so sorry."

Musa looked up. "It's not your fault."

Flora had taken a seat beside Musa's bed. The upper portion of the mattress was elevated so that Musa was in a near sitting position. She wasn't so much tired, despite her earlier proclamation, as he was drained. The loss of her prized sax was a tremendous blow to her well-being but that had slowly been chipped away by the events preceding it. Looking down into the cup, which was almost empty, Musa saw a very sad girl staring back. "It was so beautiful, ya know? I used to play it every night after a hard day. No matter how bad it was, my sax always cheered me up."

"I remember. I love to hear you play."

"Loved." Musa corrected. "I can't play it anymore."

Flora winced. "Musa…I," This wasn't going to be easy on her. If anything, all she could say would only be received as a miserable attempt at brightening Musa's mood and "bright" was one thing Musa wasn't looking for at the moment. "I'm sorry about your saxophone."

"I told you it's not your fault." She scowled. "It's Riven's."

"What?"

"It was his stupid idea to come on this trip. He invited me and because of that I lost my saxophone."

"But Riven didn't,"

"He's such a jerk!" Musa cut her off, her voice rising. "I hate him! I hate him so much!" A tear fell into the cup. "I wish I never met that son of a bitch!"

The anger in her voice was so intense that it sent shivers down Flora's spine. "Don't say that."

"Why not? Huh?! Look, Flora." She pointed with an outstretched finger to the capsules on the other side of the room. "Your Helia is in there because of him. How could you not hate him as much as I do? Doesn't Helia mean anything to you?"

"Musa, please!"

Fighting back the tears, and losing, Musa clenched her eyes shut and imagined the one person she hated now more than anything. His red hair. His violet orbs. His tanned skin. His gorgeous smile. His deep voice. His smell. The picture formed a crystal clear image in her mind – then she twisted it. She imagined all the horrible deformations she could think off and applied them to the image. Riven's face became distorted and ugly. His body shriveled and bloated at the same time. She turned him into a hideous shell of his former self. All her anger, all this unbridled rage, was directed at him.

Her magic was reacting to her and waves of sound emitted from her bare hands, cracking the cup.

"Musa," Flora warned but was overshadowed by her cry.

"I hate you, Riven!"

The glass shattered.

When she opened her eyes, Musa found her hands mixed with water, glass and blood.

Flora rushed over to the nearest cabinet to retrieve a first-aid kit and returned just as fast. After cleaning the wound and applying a disinfectant, she carefully bandaged the wound. Musa was silent during the whole process. Somehow, what she had said did not make her feel any better. She thought directing her anger against Riven would alleviate it, but instead she felt even emptier than she had before. Riven brought so much pleasure into her life. For her to just curse him like that. What happened to her? She was never a vindictive person. Why was she taking all this out on Riven? Had he not risked his life for her? Did he not admit his undying love for her? Would he not die for her? So why did he make her so mad?

"I'm sorry." Musa said, for though her emotion was directed at Riven, it was Flora who bore the brunt of it. "I didn't mean what I said about Helia. I know you love him very much." When Flora didn't answer her, Musa lifted her gaze to stare in to her forest-green eyes. Those eyes weren't looking at her. Instead they fell on Helia who was still. _Way to alienate your friends, Musa._ Oh gods, she was becoming like Riven.

"I'm sorry, Flo."

"I know."

"Then why,"

"Things are tough now. We have to be stronger if we expect to survive." That cold, logical statement did not sound like Flora at all. It's something Tecna would have said, or maybe Bloom, but not Flora. Her soul was the purest of them all and when her voice lost its luster, it did nothing but lower spirits. And Musa's was about as low as it could get.

"You're right. I shouldn't be mad at Riven. It's not his fault I lost my sax."

"Nor put Helia in a capsule." Flora muttered beneath her breath but Musa's radar-like ears picked it up. She didn't say anything, rather watching Flora's face when she said it. It was frigid. Blank. Scary. "Flora," Musa began but the door slid open admitting two very exasperated princesses.

"Hey, Flora, you got any aspirin wit…" Stella stopped mid-sentence when she spotted the other fairy in the room. "Musa?"

Layla came around her. Her eyes lit up. "Musa!"

Before Flora could stop them, Stella and Layla congregated around the troubled girl and after a few quick hugs began barraging her with questions.

"Guys enough!" Flora ordered and both paused. "Musa's very tired right now. Leave her be and come back later."

But Layla wasn't about to stop. She looked right back at Musa and began to interrogate her. "Where have you been? When I woke up and you weren't there I was worried sick!"

"I'm sorry." Musa said.

"You're sorry? That's it? What's wrong, Musa?"

"I just,"

"No need to worry." Stella spoke up. "Your friends are here now. Things are going to be okay."

"Guys." Flora said.

Seeing her friends there did little to cheer Musa up and she hated herself for it. How could she not be happy to see them? They were her sisters.

Layla sat down next to her with a big smile. "Come on. Let's go back to my room so you can get some sleep."

"I…"

"I know what will cheer you up." Stella began. "How about something to eat? I make a mean macaroni salad."

"I…"

Flora stood up. "Girls I think,"

"I…"

"I'll help you, Musa."

"I'll go over to the kitchen. What's left of it anyway."

"Let's leave Musa alone so she can rest."

"She can rest in my room."

"I don't think she wants to leave."

"I wonder if the vending machine still works."

"Musa,"

"Leave her alone."

"Why don't you let me take care of _my_ friend."

"She's my friend too."

"Maybe a nice meatloaf will do the trick."

"Don't tell her what to do."

"That's what you're doing."

"I know what's best for her."

"No you don't."

"Now which way was the cafeteria again?"

"Stop!" Musa yelled and everyone shut up. "I just want to be left alone, okay? Just leave me alone."

"Musa." They said.

"Please. Just go."

Once her friends left, more concerned than ever, Musa rolled her body into a ball and tried to fall asleep. She wasn't really tired, but anything would be preferable than being in the real world right about now.

---

With the ship fully prepped and ready for departure, the specialists prepared themselves accordingly. According to Tecna's scans, the planet's temperature was at sub-zero temperatures – during the summer – with thick cloud covers preventing most light from ever reaching the surface. As such, the crew wore thick, insulated suits which would maintain their body heat whilst traversing the frozen grounds. They also carried with them portable heaters and wore layers upon layers beneath their arctic wear.

Of course, they weren't going down without any weapons. The _Sparx_ had an admirable selection of weapons should the yacht ever come under attack by pirates. It was this armory that Skye and the others raided, properly arming themselves with whatever they thought they would need. Yet, as Skye reminded, this was only a scouting mission; which meant they were only going down there to get a lay of the land and not to fight. None of the boys seemed too eager to get into it at the moment anyway. Their mission was simple: scout the perimeter of the mining facility, discern the enemy's defenses and numbers, search for the best means of infiltration and neutralization before taking the instillation and find a means of contacting the outside world.

Then hopefully they can get the hell out of here.

Prince Skye would leave Tecna in charge aboard the _Sparx_ while he led the scouting team. Only the boys would go, the girls would stay on the ship and await further instruction. The decision had to do with practicality. While the Winx girls had proven themselves time and again, they were leaderless without Bloom and lacked the harmony that their group depended on. The specialists weren't any better being one man down, but they were used to internal confrontation. Gods knew how many times they've fought and squabbled with one another before, during and after a mission. Besides, the fairies would be a tremendous resource to risk should things go sour down there. Better they remain up here where they could be called in for support.

It had taken them an hour to get everything set for the launch. Will a full crew and a working ship, the time would have been cut to less than half, but they had to make due with what they had. Most of the ship's resources were being used on repairs. That meant that most of the preparations had to be done by hand. To their credit, the guys came through in record time with their limited options. Skye was proud to see his friend working together. Even Riven, who silently sulked the whole time, put his entire being into the mission.

When all was done, Skye reviewed his team. They each donned the insulated white suits along with a thick hood to cover their heads. Their faces were completely covered; each adorning goggles to guard against the frigid air of the planet. They resembled more of a tactical military team rather than a group of young heroes trying to make ends meet on a trip gone straight to hell. Damn that comparison! They were _specialists_. Trained to do a job that most would cower in fear from. Now it was time to put all those years of training to work. "You guys ready?"

Brandon nodded and Timmy gave him a thumbs up. Riven kept his eyes glued to the floor. News of Musa's self-imposed exile in sickbay had reached them and at first he wanted nothing more than to go to her…and yet could not. No one bothered to push him. Everything seemed to be off for the normally close-knit group they once were. Perhaps everyone was going through his or her own private hell and didn't want to drag anyone else into it. Riven's hell was his own and he'll be damned if he shared his demons with others.

A curt glance at Skye told him he was ready. "Alright. Everyone get aboard."

---

Tecna found herself missing Timmy more and more with each passing second. The bridge was so lonely with half the lights out and only auxiliary systems up and running. It was cold too. She put on a sweater she found in the captain's closet and put it on. It was made for a man and the jacket overwhelmed her slim form but she was glad for the protection. Only the Great Matrix knew how long it would take before she could get the _Sparx_ back to maximum capacity. What made matters more difficult was readying for such a dangerous mission. Now Tecna's attention was split between two major tasks.

_Do they think me a machine?_

Her fingers ached from all the typing and she wanted nothing more than to sit down with a nice cup of juice or flavored tea but duty demanded she remain at her post. She was always the most dutiful member of the Winx Club and it sometimes bothered her how the other girls could just put everything aside for their own wants. Not one of them offered a helping hand in her endeavors. Tecna had been working nonstop for over an hour and do you think any of them would come up and at the very least clean up the mess on the bridge?

Honestly!

Skye's voice came through the intercom. _"Tecna, we're ready."_

"One moment, Skye." She said. "I'm having trouble with the hangar doors. It seems a small fragment from the asteroids has wedged itself within the gears. I'm sending one of the droids to see it if can cut it loose."

"_How long will that take?"_

"As long as it takes." Tecna bit back. She was working hard enough already. Who was he to rush her?

"_Standing by."_ Skye said and didn't bother to hide the angst in his voice.

I'm doing the best I can, Tecna thought. If only he'd appreciate her for all she's done. Why don't any of them thank her for all her hard work? She should be praised for all she's done. Massaging her forehead, Tecna realized she was coming down with a headache. Strange how everyone is so worried over Musa, Bloom and Helia but nobody's bothered to wonder how she was doing. The whole bridge could come down on her and they wouldn't even notice until they needed something.

"Stop that." Tecna said.

"_What's that?"_

Apparently the com was still on and Skye had overheard her. "Nothing. Just thinking aloud."

"_Keep me posted, Tecna."_ He signed off.

"Yes sir." She grumbled. Sure she was tired and frustrated but that was no reason to think like that about her friends. They did care for her…it's just, so much has happened. She couldn't blame them.

_Could I?_

---

Aboard the transport ship, Skye, Brandon, Timmy and Riven waited in complete silence. They were anxious to get this mission started. Why? Because having nothing to do meant there was time to think. Any fighter can tell you that one of the worst things that could happen is having too much time to think. You begin to question things you shouldn't and doubt begins to creep into your mind. Doubt can be more deadly than any weapon, monster or witch.

They each had a lot to be doubtful for.

For Skye, it was seeing his friends through this crisis alive and in one piece.

For Riven, it was mending relations with Musa.

For Timmy, it was seeing Tecna again.

For Brandon, it was about whether or not he'd be getting back from this one.

Actually, they all thought that. Riven's comments about their mortality were completely on the ball. They knew how fragile life really was because they risked theirs all the time. It kind of pissed them off, Riven especially, whenever the Winx Club berated their fighting abilities or pointed out how much better they were because they had magic. How many times have they stood side by side with them against terrible foes and done everything from providing a distraction to saving their lives? To be so ridiculed was nothing short of insulting.

Of course they were kidding…usually. Fairies like Stella, Musa and especially Layla have made it clear how much less they thought of the boys as warriors. Now here they were about to go into the fire once again. The Winx will never understand how vulnerable they truly feel.

Brandon picked up a tune which got on Riven's nerves impeccably fast. "Stop it."

"It helps relax me."

"Know what helps me relax?" Riven glared at him. "Punching a bag. Want to take its place?"

"Don't start, Riven." Skye warned from up front.

"Forgive me, my liege." Riven mocked.

"Chill out, dude." Brandon said and his eyes lit up. "Heh. Guess we're going to be doing a lot of that on the planet."

"Lame." Timmy said.

"Quiet." Skye said and meant it.

"What the hell is taking so long?" Riven asked even when Skye shot angry eyes at him.

"Tecna's taking her _sweet_ time." Brandon said.

Now Timmy became agitated. "She's doing the best she can. Have a little respect for her."

Riven smirked. "Scuse me, loverboy. Believe I really respect your nerdy girlfriend."

"She's not a nerd."

"Alright!" Skye said.

"But she's into you. That must make her part nerd."

"Lay off him, Riv."

"What are you, his boyfriend now?"

"That's enough!" Skye was getting mad.

"I don't need you to protect me, Brandon."

"Dude, just trying to help out."

"Well don't."

"Okay. See how long you last against him in a fight."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He means you're a wuss, Timmy."

"No I don't."

"I can take care of myself."

"Riiiiiiiiiiiight."

Skye stood up so fast that he bumped his head on the lower half of the ceiling. "Dammit! Everyone just shut the hell up okay?"

"Aye, aye, Captain Dumbass." Riven saluted.

"That's it!" Before a fight could break out, Tecna's voice came over the intercom. _"It's done. You're cleared for takeoff, captain."_

Skye stopped halfway toward Riven who was already out of his chair. Venting his anger through heavy breaths, his eyes bore into Riven before turning back to the pilot's seat. "Thanks, Tecna. Over and out." The hangar doors opened up before them.

Brandon sighed knowing full well how close they came to civil war and Timmy was still fuming over what Riven said about Tecna. Riven sat confidently in his chair while secretly fuming inside. Skye clenched his teeth as he took them out. Their shuttle cleared the doors and he brought them around the other side of the asteroid-moon. The glowing glare of the planet loomed before them.

"_I've got you on radar, Skye. But you'll break up as soon as you enter the planet's atmosphere. You'll have to set up a transceiver on the planet's surface if you want to get in contact with me. Over?"_

"Loud and clear, Tecna. We'll let you know as soon as we find something." He hit the boosters. "Here we go."

---

**I'm not really proud of this chapter. Basically, I just wanted them to get into some action but that'll have to wait until the next one. Finally, they reach the planet's surface and things take a turn for the worse. But you knew that already. Afterall, tragedy is what this story is all about.**

**I sincerely apologize for the long wait.**

**Knight **


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning: some harsh language at the end of the chapter.**

**It's so white…**

---

Musa was sound asleep when Flora came in to check up on her. The blue-haired fairy snored soundly on the bunk with the blanket wrapped tightly around her slender body. As light-footed as she was, Flora had no trouble keeping quiet as she made her way over to the two medical capsules at the back of the room. Here, sleeping involuntarily, were Bloom and Helia and Flora found her gaze fixating on the later.

She loved Bloom, but she was a fairy and Flora knew her magical powers would help her heal faster. She wasn't so sure with Helia, however. Specialists were strong and very capable warriors, but they lacked the healing factors that all magical beings possessed. She couldn't help but admire them for being so durable. Even without magic, Helia and the boys did not hesitate to put themselves in danger against terrible odds. Right now he looked so fragile, so weak, and so pale. The color was gone from his skin and his dark hair had lost its luster.

"Helia." Flora touched the glass case that separated her from her beloved. "Please be okay."

Not wanting to be rude, she then turned to her friend directly beside Helia and stared at Bloom. Her breaths came out in steady, controlled tones and the readout from the medical screen showed her body temperature had returned to normal. She would make a full recovery at this rate and Flora was both happy…and torn. Why wasn't Helia making a full recovery?

When Timmy had found their bodies, they were huddled together inside a hallway that had been burnt by an exploding conduit. The steam was enough to melt the bones off a human body but apparently Bloom had erected a shield to protect them at just the last second. The conduit was very close and she almost did not have enough time. Timmy guessed that Bloom was forced to use up most of her magic just to keep them alive. He ordered Tecna to cut off all power to the conduits within the corridor and when she did he rushed to their side only to bump into the remnants of Bloom's barrier. She was a very powerful fairy to have the shield up even after she had lost consciousness.

Once the barrier subsided, Timmy called in for a medical service droid team and alerted Skye. They were rushed to sickbay and have remained there ever since.

Flora praised Bloom for saving Helia's life. She was willing to sacrifice herself for him and put all her energy into keeping that barrier up. The fairy wondered if she would have had the same fortitude had Skye been the one in danger. Would she risk her life for him? Give her life for his? Such selflessness was what they taught at Red Fountain but the girls at Alfea were trained to value life at all costs. They'd fight to the death for their friends but what about those whom they had no familiarity with? Would Stella or the other girls do the same?

_Would I?_

These difficult questions plagued the exotic-colored fairy. Her only wish was that one day she could return the favor. Not that she wished any harm to befall Prince Skye or his friends – just that she could prove to herself that she was as selfless as Bloom.

"F…Flora…."

The weak voice permeated her hearing and she looked into the dim, blue eyes of a very close friend. Bloom was awake and she looked so very drained.

"Bloom!" she exclaimed, then immediately covered her mouth for fear of waking Musa. Lowering her voice, Flora went closer to the capsule and spoke so that only Bloom would hear. "How are you feeling?"

"So…weak." And Bloom sounded it. The energy was gone from her voice and it took a good deal of effort just for her to look around. "Where…am I?"

"Sickbay. We found you and Helia inside the corridor and rushed you here immediately. You two were in really bad shape."

"Helia?" Bloom's eyes widened. "Helia! Flora, how is he?" Her concern suddenly gave her strength.

Sparing a glance at her love, Flora's face turned sad. "He hasn't woken up. He almost didn't make it, Bloom. If it weren't for you, Helia would be dead right now."

"No." Tears welled up in Bloom's eyes as she recalled the events that led to her present condition. "That's not fair."

"I know. But he's safe now and it's all thanks to you."

"No." Bloom's voice grew louder and the tears came out. "Flora, no."

"It's okay, sweetie. He'll be fine and…"

"You don't understand!" Bloom cried. She began to whimper. "Flora…he saved me."

---

"Starting our descent." Skye announced. He and everyone aboard braced for turbulence and they got it tenfold the moment they entered the atmosphere. Luckily, Skye was with them and he was the best pilot at Red Fountain. But storms weren't impressed with reputations and this one gave the trained pilot a run for his money.

According to Tecna's scans of the surface, most of the planet was ravaged by stormy weather on a constant basis. This provided only a small window for ships to enter or leave safely. It was not advisable to attempt a landing during one of these storms but on the plus side it provided excellent cover for those wanting to land unseen. Stealth was the key, and Skye wanted their arrival to be as unannounced as possible. Now if only he could hold the ship together.

"Hang tight, guys." Skye said.

Timmy served as navigator and guided Skye in. "There's a thunderclap heading our way. ETA, five seconds. Advise evasive maneuvers."

"On your mark." Skye readied himself for the onslaught.

"Mark!"

The prince rolled the ship into a tight dive that pulled them just barley out of range of an enormous cloud that would have enveloped them had they not dodged it. Still, its wake shook the tiny vessel violently and every one of them had rattled teeth.

"Cutting it a little close there, buddy." Brandon said.

"Maybe I should drive." Riven said.

"We want to get there in one piece, Riven." Skye had not forgotten the close scuffle he almost had with his red-haired companion back on the _Sparx_ and was still mad at him. "Just leave this to me."

"My hero."

Ignoring him, which was becoming more difficult lately, Skye took them in on a descent course. They eventually they broke through the cloud cover and got their first look at the surface. Skye had heard of the fabled Omega Dimension, whose bleak landscapes resembled something out of hell. Skye pictured something more fiery and ash-strewn, but this was as close to that mystical afterlife as he ever wanted to get. The white dunes stretched on forever and what little sunlight reached the surface fought for standing rights with the ever encroaching clouds. Mountains loomed overhead and Skye switched to night vision to avoid crashing into them. This would be a real test of his skill.

"One coming up." Timmy warned. "Bearing 1-5-0."

"I'm on it." Skye reared the ship around the imitating peak of the first mountain. Several more greeted them on their next foray and the trip suddenly turned into an amusement park ride with the ship swaying back and forth between peaks. One narrowly grazed the right hull.

"Watch it!" Riven barked as he was closest to the window when the ship tapped the rocks.

"Didn't mean to scare you." Skye couldn't help but smirk. The bad blood between them was getting to him and he knew he should let it slide. But sometimes it felt good to get some payback. "We're almost through."

Timmy checked the layout. "The coordinates are just ahead. I'll look for a place to make a safe landing."

That 'safe place' was like finding a needle in a haystack but against all odds, it was Timmy afterall, he managed to direct Skye to a flat outcropping that was barley the size of the shuttle. Little by little, Skye inched them downward, the winds making the task all the more difficult. They met with a bump which signaled their landing was complete. According to Timmy, the cropping was sturdy and provided ample solace from the fierce winds. Now came the hard part: leaving the ship.

"Check your gear and remember to keep warm."

The four specialists prepared themselves for a most unwelcome field trip and once they were properly sealed up inside their suits, goggles and hoods and all, their leader approached the door and opened it.

"Shit!" Riven cursed.

"I heard that." Brandon added as he huddled his arms together. Even with the protection of the suits they still felt the chilling sting of the weather.

"Let's keep moving. It'll keep us warm." Skye took the first steps off the ship and his boots sank ankle-deep into the snow. Fighting the sting that assailed his senses, Skye pressed on. One by one, the boys left the comfort of their ship and trekked onward. They came to the rock wall and looked up. This was not going to be easy even with their training.

"Wish I paid more attention in those rock-climbing lessons." Brandon commented.

"Let's do this. Riven, break out the grapples. Timmy, check our position on the map. Brandon, make sure the ship's secure."

Everyone followed Skye's orders and once everything was set they readied their grapple hooks. Tying ropes around each of them, the quartet began the climb.

Every ounce of their strength and endurance was tested that day. After what seemed like hours of climbing they found they had only gone up about thirty meters from where they had started. Skye was in the lead, followed by Riven, then Timmy and finally Brandon. Little by little, they etched their way upward. After about fifty meters they stopped to catch their breath. A nearby rock face protected them from the wind but that still didn't mean the danger of losing their hold on the mountain was gone. In a moment, Brandon asked the question that was on all their minds. "How much further?"

Timmy had the answer. "About another twenty meters. There's an opening that leads into a cave complex just up ahead. We can take shelter there."

"We could have just flown up and grappled down the mountain." Riven said, jamming another hook into the stone wall.

"In these winds? You're crazy, bro." Brandon shot from below.

"_This_ is crazy." Riven growled.

"Alright. Let's keep moving. The sooner we get…" Skye hoisted himself up. "…to the cave, the sooner we can rest. Follow my lead."

That's all we ever do, Riven thought.

The rest of the climb went on in silence; save for the howling wind, of course. Timmy was right on the money and there was indeed a gap along the mountain side big enough for a human-sized creature to enter. Those "creatures" eagerly climbed on in and when all four were present and accounted for they each stopped to rest, drink some water, and thank the gods for their good fortune. Popping a few nightsticks, Skye filled the cave with a green glow. He scoured the interior and found a deep passage leading deeper inside. The cave looked naturally formed with countless gaps, stalagmites, stalactites and holes running along its surface. At least it provided shelter from the storm.

"Everyone good?"

Riven scoffed. "No, Skye. We're inside a cave with a raging blizzard outside. If it's all the same to you, I'd much rather be on the _Sparx_."

"No argument there." Skye muttered.

Timmy checked their position. "The cave leads to a system of caverns up ahead. There's a small corridor that leads upward toward the surface. I'm detecting man-made construction directly above us. Once we reach the upper levels we should be just inside the perimeter of the facility. No detectable movement or lifeforms suggest any surprises along the way."

"What about traps?" Riven asked.

"We'll just have to be careful."

"Great." He retorted.

"What's life without a little danger?" Brandon asked.

"A chance to enjoy it." Riven answered, and to his surprise Brandon laughed.

"Let's move." Skye hoisted his gear onto his back and pressed on. With Timmy's directions, the group managed to navigate the labyrinth of tunnels without getting lost. They kept in tight formation, dropping a nightstick every now and then to illuminate their path back to the cave entrance. Once they had gone a good ways in they stopped to get their bearings. Actually, Timmy did, for he was the one with the computerized map. This reprieve allowed the boys another few moments rest and they took it without complaint. Traversing these uneven tunnels would have challenged the most physically fit person and the boys were in top form. While Timmy studied the data, Riven sat down on the far side of the wall. His eyes studied everything around him but he purposely avoided staring at his friends.

"What's with him?" Brandon whispered to Skye. The two of them were looking over the materials they brought with them when he asked the question. Brandon was more alert than most people realized and he saw more than he let on. He could see Riven distancing himself from the rest of the group and turned to Skye. The prince knew that all was not well between he and the lone wolf that was Riven. Suddenly he had turned into the same outsider he was back in freshman year; before he had learned to trust. This would not be good for team spirit and it could very well jeopardize their mission.

Seeing what Brandon was talking about, Skye seriously considered walking over there to talk to Riven himself. Maybe they should straighten this out before they ventured any further. "I'll talk to him."

"Maybe I should." Brandon suggested. "You two don't seem to be on the best of terms lately."

"A common occurrence, it seems."

"Yeah…well, why don't you let me speak to the man and if he tries to lop my head off then you can have a go?"

"Better your head than mine."

"Thanks, bro." Brandon said sarcastically.

Riven noticed Brandon's approach and frowned. He really didn't need this now. Brandon's bright and sunny attitude was always a sharp contrast to his dark and gloomy outlook on life. Like yin and yang, light and day, good and evil, there was nothing these two boys had in common other than attending the same school or dating girls from Alfea.

"What's going on, Riven?"

Shaking his head, Riven got up to leave. "I'd better check my gear."

"Whoa. Easy, man. Just came over to see how you're doing?"

"Fine." He lied. "Now if you'll excuse me."

Brandon wasn't backing down that easy. Hell if he could survive one of Stella's temper tantrums then Riven should be a piece of cake. "Talk to me, bro. You know we're friends."

"Friends know when to leave one another alone."

"And," Brandon retaliated. "When to get involved. You see I look at you and I see a man who's proud, brave, chivalrous, and though he'd never admit it, a romantic. I know girl trouble when I see it and you've got Musa written all over your face."

Riven glared at him. "Brandon, if you know what's good for you,"

"You're about to threaten me, but that's good. That's really good. Because it proves I'm right. Take it from a guy who's had ladies fight over him numerous times. Now that I'm with Stella, I know what it is to be truly in love. You and Musa have the same connection. We're in the same boat here, Riven. Anything you want to know about girls just ask me and I'll help in any way I can."

With an eyebrow curled, Riven cocked his head to one side in a demeaning manner. "You want to help?"

"Sure."

"Then answer me this, Doctor Casanova. Why is it that a guy who's met a wonderful young woman who truly loves him always manages to make her life miserable? Can you answer that?"

Brandon thought on it. "Why that's simple." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Because that guy is a jerk and doesn't know a good thing when he sees it."

"Are you trying to piss me off?"

"Okay, okay. 'Jerk' was the wrong word. I'd say that guy is clueless. He's finally found someone to love and because he never had that love returned to him before he does not know how to give it back. That a good enough answer?"

For once, Riven was speechless.

"See how answers come when you open up?"

The speechlessness vanished. "You don't know shit." He shrugged him off and walked away.

Brandon hung his head. For a moment there he actually thought Riven was going to open up to him. But he may as well have been trying to pry open a steel door with his bare hands. Hell that may have been easier.

"Satisfied?" Skye walked up to Brandon from behind.

"I don't know, bro. We need to have harmony in the group. Convergence and all that."

"Convergence? What are we, fairies?"

"We're best friends. And that means we should be able to talk to each other."

"For friendship to work," Skye turned to Riven who was rummaging through his things. "It has to be given from both sides. Riven has always been there when we needed him, but whenever he's the one in danger he'd rather go down with the ship than accept a friendly hand."

"It's Musa."

"Isn't it always?"

The two Eraklyonites watched Riven from afar. He had his back to them but they knew that he knew they were watching him and talking about him. He didn't know which was worse; being stuck inside a frozen cave with friends he refused to open up to, or being aboard the _Sparx_ where half the fairies would have loved to have tossed him out the nearest airlock. Musa would probably be at the head of that line.

_Musa…_

"All set." Timmy announced, breaking the awkward silence. "I know where we have to go."

"Finally." Riven said, changing his solemn façade. "Let's do this and get back. I'm tired of this shithole."

Brandon smiled over at Skye and winked. At least a foul-mouthed Riven was better than a sulking one. At the very least he can take his frustrations out on any enemies they may encounter up there. Fighting always did make him happy.

Gathering their things, the team hiked onward, the ground slowly elevating as they did so. It wasn't long before they had to move at an almost diagonal position just to keep proceeding.

"Almost there." Timmy said.

"Almost where?" Riven asked.

"Here."

"Where?"

"Look up."

They followed his lead and Timmy pointed to a large hole several feet above their heads. "We take this and it'll lead right into the mining facility."

"Good enough." Skye removed his backpack. "Take out your grapples."

"More climbing?" Brandon sighed as he looked through his bag.

Once they had secured foothold at the base of the hole, Prince Skye was the first up. He disappeared from sight for a moment and when he came back his face was covered in some strange dust. "There are a lot of holds along the wall. Should be easy to make our climb. Start following me in."

They did as they were told and one after the other they climbed up to the hole. Before going any further, Brandon dropped a nightstick back to the stone floor. "The hell you do that for?" Riven's voice asked from above.

"So we know how far down it is." Brandon answered. "If I lose my footing and fall, I want to know how much time I have left to make peace with my maker before I meet him in person."

---

Bloom was openly weeping by the time Flora figured out how to open up the capsule. Several warning lights flared to life the moment she did so but the fairy paid them no mind. She just wanted to hold Bloom and to comfort her. She found both to be more difficult than she thought. At first touch, Bloom pulled away from Flora and turned to her side. "No." She cried. "He's hurt because of me."

"What are you saying, Bloom?" Flora asked but Bloom just cried. Her body shook with sobs and she pulled her legs in to hug them against her chest. When Flora tried to reach out to her again, Bloom shrugged her off. "Bloom…"

"He saved me, Flora. Helia got hurt because he saved me from the blast."

Upon hearing that, Flora's eyes widened in surprise. All this time she had thought it was Bloom who saved Helia from the conduit explosion. Now she finds it was the other way around. But how? Bloom had erected the barrier. They would not have survived if she didn't.

"Bloom, tell me what happened. How did Helia save you?"

Bloom stopped crying long enough to answer her. "T-the conduit blew up and I…_sniff_…and I screamed. It happened so…_hic_…so fast I c-couldn't do anything. _Sniff._ I thought we were dead…but Helia…he covered me. H-he threw himself upon me and he…_sniff_…and he saved my life. He just…jumped on me and he took the full…_hic_…impact."

"That's not possible!" Flora had raised her voice. "He'd be dead if he did that. Helia doesn't have any magic. The barrier is what saved you two from being boiled alive!"

Finally Bloom looked at Flora and her eyes told her a different story. "I…I don't know how, Flora. I could have sworn we were dead but…_cry_…somehow, something saved us."

"W-what do you mean something saved you? Did you do something?"

"There was no time." Bloom emphasized the point so hard that it was like she was pleading innocent to a crime she did not commit. "I didn't have time to think so…" she wiped her eyes, slowly getting herself back under control. "…when the corridor exploded there was nothing I could do. Helia shielded me with his own body but even I knew that wouldn't be enough. Before I lost consciousness I could feel something standing between us and the steam. It felt like some sort of wall had been erected and it was protecting us. I hadn't done anything and Helia was knocked out. Even as I drifted off I knew the barrier wouldn't last long. The next thing I know I wake up here with you beside me." Bloom' s tear-filled eyes looked at Flora. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save him. I would have, but it was just so sudden. You know I would have taken the full blast if I could. I just…I just didn't have time."

This was all too much for Flora to take in. She got up from the bed and approached Helia's capsule. Inside, the handsome young man slept soundly. He was in stable condition but still very weak. Here she thought Bloom was the one who had sacrificed herself for him and now she finds it was quite the opposite. But it didn't make any sense. If Bloom didn't erect the magical barrier, then who did?

"Helia?" Flora said aloud.

Bloom tried to get out of bed but her body was still weak. All she managed to do was bring her legs over the side of the bed and wait for the blood to return to those lowers extremities. "Is he…okay?"

"He's lying still in a capsule, Bloom." There was a harsh edge to Flora's voice that Bloom had never heard before. "He's not okay."

Bloom heard it and she cringed in her bed. "I'm so sorry, Flora."

Clenching her fists, Flora looked over her shoulder at Bloom. "Are you sure it wasn't you? That you didn't erect the barrier?"

"I _know_ I didn't. I told you there wasn't,"

"Time." Flora finished. She then returned to Helia. Her love.

Bloom lowered her head. "I can't tell you how sorry I am. I'd give anything for him to be up right now instead of me. You know I…"

"Bloom?" said another voice in the room.

All the talking had awoken Musa from her sleep. Now the musical fairy was sitting up in her bed and when her eyes at last fell upon Bloom she brightened up immediately. "Bloom!" Jumping out of her bed, Musa rushed to her side to embrace her. "Bloom! You're awake!"

"But Helia isn't." Flora sighed.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Musa said hugging her. She pulled back long enough to realize that her friend wasn't jubilant. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"Helia almost died trying to save her." Flora announced. "And here we were giving credit to the wrong hero."

"Flora?" Musa looked between the two. Something was very wrong here. "What's going on?"

The doors swung open and three very scared girls rushed in. Tecna was in the lead and had been issuing orders to the other girls when the emergency signal came from sickbay. Layla and Stella had joined her in a mad dash to sickbay, expecting something very wrong to be with Bloom. What they found was a different picture.

"Bloom!" Tecna exclaimed. "You're awake!"

"That's my girl!" Stella rushed to her and embraced Bloom even more passionately than Musa. Despite her wounds still hurting, Bloom ignored the pain for it was another type of injury that hurt her the most. That of betraying her friend, Flora.

"Good to see you again, Bloom." Said Layla. Her mood brightened up tenfold when she spotted Musa sitting beside her. "And you look so much better, Musa. Guess that sleep really did wonders for you."

But Bloom did not hear it. She was just too bridled with guilt to be happy.

Stella looked at her quizidly and turned to Musa. "What's wrong?"

Musa in turn gazed at Flora. "Ask her."

"Flora?"

Flora did not look back. "Why don't you tell them, Bloom?" She did an about face and her sparkling green eyes burned with emerald fire. "Tell them how Helia almost died to protect you."

All girls gasped.

"I…is this true, Bloom?" Musa has to ask.

The Earth girl covered her face with her hands. "Yes. He almost died and it's all my fault."

"No." Stella comforted her as Bloom began to cry. "It's not your fault. I'm sure you did everything you possibly could to save him."

"But I didn't, Stella. Helia saved me. He saved me from the blast and when we were lying on the ground he erected some kind of barrier to protect us from the steam. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead right now."

"It's always about you isn't it?" Flora hissed.

To Tecna, everything Bloom said defied reasoning. "_He_ erected a barrier? But, Bloom, Helia has no magic."

"None that we know of." Stella added.

"But who else could it have been? It was just Helia and me inside the corridor when it exploded. I couldn't erect a shield in time so it must have been Helia."

"But he's,"

"I know what I saw, Stella!" Bloom yelled and began to cry even more.

Musa stood up. "Don't blame yourself. It was all an accident. Nothing could be done. Right?" she asked the other girls and when no one answered she turned to the one fairy who could have alleviated Bloom's guilt. "Right, Flora?"

But Flora said nothing. Instead she turned and left the room without so much as looking back.

"This is unbelievable." Tecna whined. "Whenever we manage to get some harmony back into the group, another girl goes and turns tantrum on the rest. Are we falling apart?"

No one said anything. Deep down, they knew their friendship was in serious trouble but if there was a magic spell to fix such a thing they knew nothing about it.

---

"Shouldn't be that much further." Timmy said.

"You said that fifteen minutes ago." Riven spat.

Timmy was doing his best but Riven's constant retorts were getting on his nerves. "Look, this is a hastily drawn map given to us by your friend, Mister Icaran. If you have any gripes then you should take them up with him when we get back. In the meantime, follow my instructions."

"You tell him, Timmy." Brandon's voice echoed from down below.

Riven told Brandon to shut up and any comeback the brown-haired specialist had was drowned out by a shrill beeping. "Timmy, what is that?" Skye asked being closer to him than the others.

The pad Timmy used had a map displayed on the screen. The four specialists were depicted as four yellow dots venturing up a long, green shaft representing the passageway they were in. For the longest time, those four dots were the only living things inside the system of tunnels. Now, however, the laptop had picked up something else…something moving very fast in their direction. "Guys…we've got company."

From up above, Skye had just finished placing another hook when Timmy made his announcement. Standing precariously with each foot on a narrow ledge, the prince looked back down as if he didn't hear what Timmy just said. "Say again."

"Something's heading this way." Timmy became anxious and that was never a good sign. Timmy was usually the most level-headed member of their group, using plain old logic to solve any and all problems that presented themselves. The most frightening thing to Timmy was coming up against a problem he did not understand or couldn't figure out right away. By all previous scans, there was nothing living this deep within the tunnels and yet the screen showed him otherwise. What bothered him most was the speed in which the object approached. For something to be moving that vast in this twisted place, it would either have to have wings or crawling along the walls. Timmy saw nothing that suggested avian life inside the cave. In fact, any winged creature would have to be warm-blooded to survive in these cold temperatures which meant they would need to eat to keep their metabolism working and hence generate heat. In order to keep up their strength, the flying creatures would need a nearby food source to provide that energy.

What if it crawled? Any resident crawler of the cave would need powerful limbs to navigate the cave. Again that strength would require an easily accessible food source. So where did that food come from?

Timmy suddenly remembered there were four of them in the shaft.

Riven and Brandon were still arguing when Timmy called for their attention. "Guys!" They stopped. "Look alive. Something's heading our way."

"What kind of something?" Riven asked.

"Something that shouldn't be down here."

Timmy watched the readout as the _something_ drew closer. "Here it comes. Less than sixty meters and closing."

"You think it's hostile?" He heard Brandon asked.

"Don't know. But you can bet anything approaching four lifeforms of our size at such a pace doesn't scare easy."

"Hostile." Riven said and removed his knife from the sheath.

"Take it easy, Riven. We don't know if,"

"Better safe than sorry." Riven cut him off.

"I'm with Riven." Brandon said.

Timmy looked back at the readout. "Forty-five meters."

"Which direction?" Skye asked but Timmy couldn't say.

"Which direction?" He asked again.

"Not sure."

"Guess." Riven prepared himself.

"Um…south, I think."

"Wonderful." Brandon was right at the bottom end of the line; so that was where he readied his defenses. Poised to strike with his knife, Brandon readied for the inevitable fight that would follow. "Got my back, Riven?"

"Don't you mean your top?"

"Oh…_now_ he cracks jokes."

"Speaking of cracks, better watch yours."

Brandon could not believe this. Now of all times Riven decides to become his usual, jerk-off self, just when they were facing a possible life or death situation against an unknown enemy. Honestly, he just couldn't figure the guy out.

"Thirty-six meters." Timmy said. "Thirty-two. Man, this thing's fast."

"Shouldn't we keep going?" Riven asked Skye.

"I can't see the top. If this thing is moving as fast as Timmy says then there's no way we'll outclimb it."

"Twenty-four, twenty-one, eighteen, fourteen…" Timmy counted. Soon he noticed a pale blue dot appear on the screen. It covered the distance between it and them remarkably fast and was almost on top of the four yellow dots. "Nine, five, here it comes!"

"Dammit!" Riven cried.

"Get ready!" Skye ordered. "Timmy, put the computer away and take out your knife."

Timmy rushed to comply but no sooner did he reach for his weapon when the wall behind him burst open and something grabbed him from behind. The youth was pulled in with such force that it was as if his body was sucked in by a vacuum cleaner. Crying out, his friends tried to save him but it was too late. Whatever took him was long gone and all they heard was Timmy's cries.

"Timmy!" Skye screamed, making way for the hole.

"Oh shit!" Riven yelped as the laptop Timmy carried went crashing down and nearly broke his head. It banged him on the shoulder on the way down and fell past Brandon who was too worried about Timmy to even think of grabbing it. "Where is he?"

"Fuck if I know!" Riven said.

"No!" Skye reached the hole and peered inside. All he saw was darkness. "Timmy! Gods damn it! Timmy!"

---

**Now I know some of you guys are thinking **_**Alien**_**, right. The whole trapped in a claustrophobic atmosphere with something very fast out to get you must be one of the scariest things imaginable. Being dragged through the dark by a thing that's likely to eat you has got to be just as bad. What does this mean for poor Timmy? Am I going to kill him off? Will a main character finally die? I'm not telling. You'll just have to wait.**

**And thanks to PhoebetheQueenofDragons, DayDreamer9, ThatFreakyVoiceInYourHead, SnowCharms and everyone else for sticking with me. Hope this chapter makes up for the previous stale one.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A race against time…**

---

"Timmy! Gods damn it! Timmy!"

"Did you see what grabbed him?" Riven asked beneath him.

"It was too fast. I couldn't make heads or tails of it." Skye could not believe this was happening. Timmy was just pulled into some hole by some…thing, and before he or the others could do anything about it the creature dragged him away into the darkness. Timmy's cries for help had already vanished, but Skye lost sight of him long before that. This recon mission just turned into a rescue operation. "We're going after him."

"Well obviously." Riven said. While he and Timmy had butted heads aboard the shuttle – and numerous times before that – he was still his friend and Riven wanted to save him as much as anybody. "But how are we supposed to catch something that moves that fast? Come to think of it, how _are_ we going to find him?"

Skye thought about it. "His laptop. Did anyone see where it fell?"

"Down there." Brandon said. "You think he had some sort of tracking device?"

"All our suits do."

"Well I'll go get it then." Brandon slowly, but with as much speed as the urgent situation allowed, began his descent. "Just hope the damn thing ain't broken."

"Hurry up!" Riven barked.

"I'm going!" Brandon scrambled. He disappeared just beyond Riven's range of vision though his shadow could still be seen blotting out the light from the nightstick he tossed down from before. Riven looked up at Skye who seemed about to leap into the foreboding hole at any minute. "Keep your cool, Skye. We don't know what we're up against."

"Neither does that thing." Skye said through grit teeth. He had nearly lost a friend and a girlfriend to this thrice-damned mission of his; he would rot in the Nine Hells of Fralhalla before he allowed someone else he cared about to be eaten alive. Instinctively, his hand reached for his weapon. The phantom blade was the trademark weapon of Red Fountain and had seen Skye through many a peril. Holding it now gave him some sort of hope that his friend was alive. If not, well then his sword would still make him feel better…after he used it to tear out the creature's heart.

"Brandon!" Skye yelled. "What's taking you?"

Brandon's voice came back but it was too far for Skye to hear. "What did he say?" He asked Riven.

"He's coming back up…with the laptop."

"Come on!" He was getting impatient.

"Let's go, squire!" Riven cried.

"Be quiet! I'm climbing as fast as I can." Brandon was already two-thirds of the way up when he made that statement. Once he reached Riven, Brandon hoisted up Timmy's laptop which seemed to be in working order despite its considerable fall. "Computers ain't my thing. Skye…" He passed it along to Riven who in turn gave it to the prince. Next to Timmy, Skye was the most adept at technology which wasn't saying much. Timmy had forgotten more things about machinery than the three of them had learned combined. Still, he knew the basics on how to work the thing and Timmy did give him a rundown earlier.

Looking at the view screen, Skye localized their position. Three yellow dots, themselves, were standing within a long vertical shaft from the cave base. He pressed a button to widen the grid, eventually encompassing as considerable portion of the entire network. Finally, he spotted a fourth yellow dot several yards east of their position. A blue dot sat dangerously close to the yellow one and it appeared they had stopped in a chamber adjacent to the shaft. "I've got him. They're not too far from here but it'll take a bit of crawling."

That didn't seem to dissuade them in the least. These boys were used to physical hardships. The only question now was whether or not they could reach their friend in time. While they had no idea what the creature's intentions were, it was a safe bet that it wanted to eat him. Timmy did mention a creature of its size would require a large food source to survive down here. A healthy young man would be just up that alley.

With Skye in the lead, the trio ventured into the hole. The tunnel the creature made was riddle with pot marks suggested several appendages were used in its creation. Judging from the size and length of the tunnel, the boys barely had to duck to move through it, the thing had to be pretty big. Its size wasn't the only thing that bothered them. Anything that could move at that speed and burst through solid rock would prove a formidable opponent…even for three well-trained specialists.

---

Bloom strength gradually began to return to her once she had something to eat. She then went to the bathroom to clean herself up. The water wasn't running but Tecna managed to get the sonic shower working. It wasn't the same as having warm water rinsing over her tired body, but it did freshen her up and her skin did reclaim some of its luster. One of the good things about a sonic shower, she realized, was that there was no need to dry her hair. She practically dressed herself the moment she came out of the tub.

Looking herself in the mirror, Bloom saw that everything looked as it should be, except her eyes. They were sad. Guilt lingered behind them and the parting words of a dear friend hurt her greatly.

"_It's always about you, isn't it?"_

Flora was blaming her for Helia's condition. Bloom couldn't blame her. Afterall she was the fairy. She was the one with magical powers. She'd always been the one who saved others when they were in danger. Bloom was powerful. She wielded the mighty Dragonfire, the lineage of her family. How could she have failed to protect him when so many times before she had saved the day? What went wrong? Could it be that Helia just wasn't as important enough to her that she didn't push herself as hard as she would for someone else?

No. Bloom wasn't that kind of person. She loved all her friends. Male and female alike.

_But what if it had been Skye…_

Prince Skye. Tecna told him he and the boys had gone off on some dangerous mission not too long ago. They were on the surface of the planet on a recon mission to the mining facility. She knew he'd be happy to know she was alright, but to be honest she wasn't sure she wanted to see him. Helia was not just Flora's lover, but Skye's friend. Had the roles been reversed and it was Skye's incompetence that almost killed Flora she wouldn't be so quick to overlook it. Skye was forgiving, but it was shame that kept Bloom in check.

_Why couldn't I have saved him?_

There was a knock on the door to the restroom. "Bloom. You okay?" It was Stella.

"Coming." Bloom checked herself out one more time before opening the door. "Hey, Stell."

"You okay?" Stella asked when she noticed Bloom's trademark sparkling eyes were duller than usual.

"I'm fine." Bloom lied. This was odd. She usually spoke so openly about her feelings to her best friend, but she didn't feel much like talking right about now. She walked past Stella and headed for a nearby bench to put on her shoes. The dressing room was a mess and the only light present was from Stella herself. She created a ball of sunlight to illuminate her way through the lightless area. Half the ship was just like this and suddenly Stella had become a precious commodity. Almost everyone wanted her to "shed some light" on countless situations. She'd accompanied the girls to so many parts of the ship that she was becoming quite familiar with the layout. "You wanna talk about it?" She knew Bloom wasn't telling her the truth about her well-being and wanted her to open up.

"I'm a little tired. That's all." Bloom finished putting her shoes on. "Now I just want to help out with whatever I can."

"You know Flora was a little mad at you." _A little?_ "But she still cares about you. She just needs some time is all."

Thinking of Flora made Bloom stop. "I understand. It's okay if she's mad."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Stella, please,"

"You did everything you could to help Helia. You don't have to feel bad just because,"

"You weren't there." Bloom muttered.

Stella didn't quite hear what she said. "Huh?"

"I said, you weren't there." She repeated. "I don't know what happened, Stella, but Helia saved my life."

"And that's bad?"

"No. But I just can't understand it. My power comes from the Dragonfire. I should have been able to protect us both."

"We can't be ready for everything."

"We're supposed to be."

"How can we?"

"We're the Winx Club, Stella. We're supposed to protect others."

"Is that what's bothering you? That you were rescued by a boy?"

Bloom shot out of the bench and screamed at her. "I'm not like that! I don't hate boys like Layla!"

Stella was shocked at the outburst. So was Bloom, and she quickly settled down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I'm just…" she sat back down. "I'm really messed up right now."

"I'll say."

Somehow her words didn't make Bloom feel any better. Stella was the most honest person Bloom had ever met and she always spoke her mind. At times, though, Bloom wished she just watched what she said. Words can hurt as much as any sword or magical blast. "I'm sorry." She said again. This was the second girl she had apologized to today.

The princess of Solaria sighed. "Man," she began fixing her ponytail. "Everyone's messed up today. People have been freaking out ever since we came on this mission."

"Everyone?" Bloom asked. "What happened since I knocked out?"

"Riven and Layla almost had it out. Musa hates Riven so much that she doesn't want to see him ever again. Tecna's been getting on everyone's case. Skye's barely managing to hold everyone together. Flora's pissed at you. Timmy's a total wreck. It seems like Brandon and I are the only ones keeping our cool."

"You and Brandon?"

"Oh yeah. My Boo and I have been nothing but supportive."

_Little Miss Perfect._ Wait, did Bloom just think that?

"I see." Bloom lowered her head. "Any word yet on how the guys are doing?"

"Tecna's on it. She'll let us know when their next transmission comes through."

"I'm worried about them, Stella."

"Don't be. My hubby will take care of your boy."

"I mean _all_ of them. Not just Skye."

"Riven and Timmy too?"

The way she asked that question had Bloom standing up again. It was just so dismissively. "Of course. Why do you hate those two?"

"I don't hate them. It's just…"

"What?" Bloom asked when she trailed off.

"Well, Timmy's a nice guy but he can be such a wuss and Riven…boy can I spend hours talking about his deficiencies."

"He could be in danger."

"And I wish him the best, really. But if something bad were to happen to Riven, then Musa could finally move on with her life and everyone would be happier for it."

"Stella!" Bloom yelled. "I can't believe you feel that way."

She backed up. "Whoa! I'm starting to think you have feelings for the guy."

"He's my friend."

"He doesn't know the meaning of the word."

Bloom stepped back. "And neither do you apparently." She stormed away from Stella. The door to the dressing room was stuck open but that didn't stop her from banging it with her fist on the way out.

Stella watched her leave both confused and distraught. "Bloom? What did…" She shook her head. "Holy…what did I just say?"

---

Skye exited the hole first which opened up into a vast chamber of stalagmites and stalactites. He was surprised to find such a hollow enclave inside such a great mountain but one look at the rocks told him that this place wasn't created naturally. The spires were too smooth and the walls too well-rounded for it to be anything than artificial. Could it have been made by human hands, Skye wondered. The miners could have used this chamber as a storage place for tools, weapons, or even food; the frigid air being a natural preservative. But how did that explain whatever that creature was? Surely the miners would not leave something that dangerous running about.

But he brushed that aside right now as there was something more important that required his attention. He and his friends easily navigated the flattened floors only occasionally having to go around a massive stalagmite that proved too hazardous to climb up. Silent as they were, they could not help but be cautious. Animals that lived in such caves had extremely acute means of detecting intruders in their lair. The cave was very quiet. No sound reached their ears except their own breathing or the gentle scrunch of their feet as they sneaked across the barren rock. It was dark too. Pitch-black even. Good thing their goggles packed night-vision.

Skye held up a hand to halt the troupe and the trio stopped just behind a large rock jutting out of the ground. It was irregularly shaped, like some distorted hand of a being who had been buried within the silent stone. Skye peeked out from behind the rock as he was the first to hear the sound and hence knew the general direction to look. His eyes followed where his ears guided and eventually fell on a frightening sight. There, cocooned several feet above the cave floor, was Timmy. His body was almost completely encased in some sticky, gelatin-like substance that hung from the ceiling. Surrounding him were various other cocoons; only they were empty and withered. Timmy's was brand new.

But it wasn't that which held Skye's attention. It was the hideous worm-like creature that hung on the thread just above Timmy's exposed head. Weaving what appeared to be tentacles, the lithe appendages spun the cocoon around Timmy, gradually covering his entire body. Timmy looked unconscious. He lost his goggles, presumably from the time he was pulled through the tunnel and his head hung weakly to one side. It was probably for the best. Who'd want to stay awake through something like that?

Turning back to Riven and Brandon, Skye motioned they had found their target. Now it was only a matter of how to deal with it. Huddling up, the boys whispered their ideas and concerns.

"We're going to have to deal with that thing first." Riven said.

"One blast from an energy cannon should do the trick." Brandon said.

Skye wasn't too sure. "That thing can travel through rock like it's water. Who knows how thick that hide is?"

"We can always go mano-a-mano." Riven suggested. He grabbed his sword to emphasize the point. He wanted to fight if to relieve some of the stress he'd been under than anything else. "Hm?"

"It's pretty fast." Skye said.

"So am I. Just get his attention and I'll do the rest. While I'm fighting it, you guys rescue Timmy."

"Leaving you to fight alone against dangerous monsters isn't my idea of a plan, Riven. It'll take at least two of us to keep that thing preoccupied while the other cuts Timmy down." Skye thought about it a moment. A plan was formulating in his mind. "Brandon and I will do it. Riven, you go rescue Timmy."

Riven was disappointed to say the least. "Let me fight, Skye."

"Brandon and I are better fighting as a team. We've trained together most of our lives. Besides, you're a better climber than either of us. You can reach Timmy quickly and cut him down."

"But you'll need speed. I'm faster than Brandon."

"Says you." Brandon quipped.

"Guys." Skye berated. "We're going to do this. Now Riven," He pointed at him. "wait until we have the worm's attention before going after Timmy. When that happens," he turned to Brandon. "we'll attack. I'll lead, keeping it distracted while you try to find an opening to strike at its weak spots."

"How do we know it even has weak spots?" His best friend asked.

"Any place its trying to defend. Its head maybe, or its stomach."

"Does it even have those?"

"We're about to find out."

"Fine." Riven gave in. "But we'd better do it quick." He took a peek around the rock. "That thing's almost got him completely cocooned."

They nodded. Within moments they were all in position. Riven waited just behind the rock that looked like a twisted hand while Brandon and Skye slowly approached the worm. It was just starting to cover Timmy's face when a rock thudded against its shell. Of course that would have been like tossing a raindrop against a man's fave. Barely noticeable but a bit annoying. And annoyed is just what the creature was. Particularly when it saw the two boys down below.

"Get away from him, worm!" Skye yelled.

"Timmy, hang in there." Brandon said.

Had Timmy heard him he did not reply but the worm did. Whether it had ears or not, the worm seemed enraged by their words and moved in to attack. With startling agility, it uncoiled its massive, twenty-foot body from the thread and landed on the ground, shaking it. At the forefront of the worm appeared a gaping maw filled with a cyclone of razor-sharp teeth. Two massive pincers clung at the sides of the "mouth" and its tentacles, which wriggled angrily around the "head", whipped in a dangerous dance.

Suddenly, the specialists weren't as energetic as they had been before.

"Uh, Skye, about those weak points."

---

Riven heard the worm roar. Hell, he thought, the thing has a mouth. Then he heard Prince Skye curse which was unusual for him.

_Should have let me fight._

But he knew his comrades would be able to hold their own. They were the best fighters at Red Fountain—next to him of course, and he figured he could rescue Timmy fast enough that he'd still have time to join the battle.

To their credit, Skye and Brandon were doing an excellent job. Their years of training together allowed them to predict the other's moves and they fought as one rather than individuals. When Brandon attacked, Skye parried; when one ducked, the other jumped; one on the defensive, the other offensive, and they would switch accordingly. The worm, fearsome as it was, was unable to overpower its smaller foes and they danced around its snapping jaws and fruitless attempts to crush them beneath its weight. It wasn't as fast on the ground as it was in the tunnels. The friends' speed and agility allowed them to keep out of range while striking at the most opportune times.

But the worm had advantages of its own. Its outer shell was as hard as steel. The heroes' blades bounced of it with ear-piercing rings and rattled their limbs with each blow. Its massive body was lithe and nimble, allowing it to twist and turn at bizarre angles. As such, neither Brandon or Skye could attack it without suddenly dodging a quick snap of its jaws when it turned to them. It could also roll meaning the boys had to be extra careful not to get run over. Its "tail" snapped back and forth with enough tonnage behind it to shatter stone; and shatter it did. Many a rock fell to pieces with each strike and both Eraklyonites thanked the gods they were able to sneak out of that last one with their bodies still intact.

Riven waited until they lured the worm a ways off before making his move. Dashing with remarkable speed honed through years of thievery, Riven stopped just beneath Timmy whose face was half covered in the icky stuff. "Hang on, Timmy." Riven said and looked around for the nearest tall rock. He found it spaced just halfway between Timmy and the cave wall. His incredible agility would come into play as he dashed for the rock and jumped up. Using it as leverage, Riven pushed off and unsheathed his sword in mid-air. Timing it just right, he cut the cocoon, his phantom blade penetrating it as easily as butter, and Timmy fell. The thief landed gracefully and put his sword away before holding out his arms to catch Timmy. His suit was sticky and covered in that worm's filth but he was otherwise okay.

"You owe me." He said and rushed off to get him to a safe place.

---

The standoff continued until Brandon had an idea. "Weak spot."

"I know. I'm looking." Skye said as he dodged another tail strike.

"The mouth!" Brandon got the idea when the worm took a swipe at him earlier. His broadsword crossed with one if its mandibles and he held it back. Gazing into that black hole of a mouth, Brandon saw countless teeth sticking out of a fleshy interior. It was just as he pulled back when he thought about it. "It's soft on the inside. We can hurt it in there."

"You want to get inside that thing?" Skye asked in shock. He avoided another of the worm's attempts at crushing him and flipped over.

"As adventurous as I am, I was more leaning towards planting a bomb inside that thing." Brandon swung his sword only to have it bounce off the shell. "We brought along a cache of grenades didn't we?"

Skye grinned. "I gotcha." He slanged. "Good idea, buddy."

"Beauty and brains. No wonder Stella's nuts over me." Brandon joked but he stopped smiling when the worm lunged for him so suddenly that he moved back, and tripped. He hit the ground hard and the worm wasn't about to let this opportunity go by. "Brandon!" Skye yelled, seeing the predicament his friend was in.

The worm turned its upper body toward Brandon and opened up its maw. Its many fangs dripped in anticipation of tasting man-flesh and it moved in for the kill. "Shit." Brandon cursed and reached for his sword. If he was going to be eaten, the least he could do was give the worm a bad case of upset stomach. Grabbing it, he turned just in time to see the worm had another problem to deal with. That problem was a red-haired specialist with a very sharp sword. "Riven!"

"What would you losers do without me?" he said as he jabbed at the creature's incredibly thick hide. He knew it did no damage, but it turned its attention away from Brandon and that was what he had set out to do.

Now if only someone would turn its attention away from him.

The worm twisted and turned in every direction trying to throw him off. Try as he might, Riven knew there was no way he could contain his grip on the worm while striking it at the same time. Giving in, he decided he had distracted it long enough and prepared to leap off when, "Don't move, Riven."

"What?!"

Prince Skye repeated. "Hold it for just a few more seconds." He then ran off leaving Riven hanging onto that monster for dear life.

Riven looked to Brandon who was now a safe enough distance away. "The hell's he thinking?" He bobbed up and down as the worm did.

"I think I know. Just hang in there."

"You ungrateful son of a bitch!" Riven yelled as he has just saved Brandon's life. He yelled some more as the worm reared up its body and slammed it back to the ground. Riven's head slammed into its hide and he was momentarily dazed. It was like running head first into a brick wall and he could feel blood trickling down his nose. What the hell was Skye thinking?

Finally having enough of this rodeo, the worm twisted its whole body around to roll. Riven regained enough of his senses to jump off and landed next to Brandon but fell on his backside. Brandon helped him up and the two boys watched as the worm loomed over them, mandibles clicking, tentacles wriggling, as the maw extended to its fullest length; wide enough to eat them both in one gulp. They were almost too shocked to move but Prince Skye appeared at that moment with something in hand. "Eat this!" He said and lunged the object into the maw which startled the creature long enough for him to cry out, "Take cover!"

"Wha," Riven began but was cut off as Brandon forced him to the ground and covered his own head.

The blast was enough to have their ears ringing for hours afterward and the acoustics in the cave only amplified it. The worm simply disintegrated as its body was destroyed from within. A mass of guts and blood covered the surrounding area, which included the three specialists. Their suits had turned from red to green and how they _wreaked!_

Looking up, Brandon saw what was left of the worm. "Guess it didn't agree with him." He was referring to the grenade Skye had thrown into its stomach.

Coughing, Riven pushed Brandon off of him. His head still spinning from when he had hit his head and the ensuing blast made sure it would be a while before his full senses returned. "The hell was…"

"Grenade." Brandon answered. "It was my idea."

"Figures." Riven wiped some of his own blood from his nose.

"Where's Timmy?" Skye asked.

"Huh?" Riven's ears were still ringing and Skye had to get closer in order for him to hear. He pointed to the rock that looked like a disfigured hand. "Over there."

"Uh…guys." Brandon said. Before they could inquire they suddenly realized the that whole cave was shaking. It was never wise to use explosives within a cave while the circumstances called for such drastic measures, they were about to face the consequences of their actions. "Out! Now!" Skye yelled but his friends were already moving. Riven and Brandon went around the rock to pick up Timmy and carried him back toward the hole. Rocks began to fall all about them and they had to play a very dangerous game of dodge during their escape. Once they reached the hole, Skye made sure all his friends were inside before following them in. Rocks kicked up a cloud of dust and for the moment they were all temporarily blinded.

"_Cough_…everyone okay?" Their leader asked.

"Fine." Riven replied flatly.

"Same here." Brandon checked Timmy. "And Timmy's still breathing."

"Would have been a wasted effort if he wasn't." Riven said.

Skye would have smacked Riven if he could see. "Let's head back the way we came. We need to get Timmy to the ship and back to the _Sparx_."

"Mission's over?" Brandon asked.

"Postponed. Right now our first priority is getting Timmy to safety."

"Sounds good to me." Riven agreed. He was all too eager to leave this place behind.

---

Bloom entered the lounge area and of all the fairies that could have occupied it, the one whom she had bad blood with was there. Flora had her back to her as she was gazing out the window. The view was all a giant purple haze with no stars or comets to inspire the soul. That's something Helia would have thought about and it hurt Bloom to even think about him, particularly when his girlfriend was standing right there.

Thinking it best to leave, Bloom turned to do so.

"Helia loved the stars." Flora said.

Bloom did not know whether she was talking to herself or to her but she stopped dead in her tracks. A strange thought occurred to her—that somehow Flora managed to pick up on her thoughts and voiced them for her to hear. Last she checked the fairy wasn't telepathic, but after what happened with Helia how could her mind not be open to new possibilities?

Hugging her arms, Bloom made a second attempt to leave when Flora spoke again…this time to her. "He risked his life to save you, Bloom." She turned to her. "The least you can do is not dishonor his sacrifice."

Bloom turned around. She did not understand what her friend meant by that comment but at the same time was happy that she was speaking to her again. "What do you mean?"

Flora's eyes were stern and yet more beautiful than Bloom had ever seen them. Those pristine emerald orbs which could melt the heart of friend or foe alike, or entrance the most stalwart companion, now gazed unwavering in her direction. "You shouldn't sulk. It's insulting to everything Helia did for you."

"I…" Bloom began but her voice was caught in her throat. The emotions running through her now were confusing. Her heart ached from the experience and she couldn't find the means to express herself in words. The guilt over what happened with Helia nibbled away at her usually impregnable will and with each chip that fell off she was becoming hollow. Bloom did not know how to deal with that emptiness. Her fire was weak, like a candle sputtering in the wind. Any moment now that wind would muffle that candle and if that happened she wasn't sure she would be able to light it again.

"I…" Bloom tried again but no words came to her.

"Don't." Flora said, and the seriousness in her voice made Bloom look up. "Don't insult him any further by asking for forgiveness. He did what he was trained to do…what he wanted to do. For him to do otherwise was to go against his very nature. If you're truly appreciative for what he has done then the best way for you to show it is to toughen up and do whatever you can to see this mission through to the end." Her gaze shifted away momentarily. "That's how Helia would see it."

Finally, Bloom found her voice. "Y…you're right, Flora. I'm sorry for acting the way I did. I didn't mean…to blemish his sacrifice." She finally gathered the courage to look her in the eye. "I promise I'll be strong from now on and help with the mission in any way I can."

"See that you do." Flora said and turned around to look out the window again.

The harsh way in which she spoke stung Bloom, but she tried to hide it. She had a promise to keep to Flora and to Helia. Despite the raging emotions running through her she'd have to lock them away in some secret box and save them for another day. It wasn't like Bloom at all to bury her feelings but it was time to act like an Alfea fairy and not some whiny little Earth girl.

"I'll see you later." Bloom said. Before she could leave another fairy burst into the lounge, scared and breathing heavily. It was Musa.

"Hey, Musa." Bloom said just before she noticed her friend's ruffled appearance. "What is it?"

Gasping for breath, Musa sputtered out words. "G….guys…need….h-help."

Flora looked over her shoulder when she heard the urgency in Musa's voice. Bloom was already trying to calm her down. "Take it easy. Just tell me what's wrong?"

Musa took a deep breath and finally managed to speak without stammering. "We've got trouble!" she cried. "It's Icaran. He's escaped!"

---

**I'm so pleased to have finally put in an action sequence. And the cliffhanger is so the girls can get some action in the next episode. I already have an ending in mind for the conclusion of the story, but don't worry, that's much later on. I hope you've enjoyed reading this one because I had a lot of fun writing it.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Girl time…**

---

Of all the things that could have happened on Tecna's watch, this was the worst. Skye had left her in charge because he felt that she could be trusted with the responsibility of maintaining the ship and prevent hell from breaking loose in his absence. Everything was coming along smoothly, but then something had to go wrong to ruin her near spotless record of ship coordinator. Mister Icaran, that lowlife, had somehow escaped from the brig and it fell to Tecna to set things right.

Now if only Stella would shut up so she could figure out how to go about doing just that.

The princess was furious after hearing the news and her mouth was running at eight hundred miles an hour and nothing short of a slap would make her hit the breaks. Tecna was inclined to give her that slap but she did not want to irritate the situation any more than it already was. Every one was acting funny ever since they had entered the nebula and for all she knew the slightest gesture interpreted in the wrong way could very well lead to a bloodbath. Thus, she stayed her hand though kept the notion of smacking Stella entertained at the back of her head.

"This is horrible! We have a homicidal maniac on the loose aboard a ship filled with gorgeous young women. He'll probably try to kill us off one by one in the most gruesome manner. Oh, Brandon, you picked a hell of a time to go sightseeing."

"They're on a mission, Stella." Tecna informed her…for the fourth time!

"Mission? What could be more important than protecting the love of his life? I tell you, I'm going to give that bastard a piece of my mind when he gets back. I'm serious. I may just break up with him and find a new boyfriend. Lot more fish in the sea if you know what I mean."

Tecna sighed. "Sit down."

"Sit down?" Stella stopped her pacing; placing both hands on her slender hips in a manner of a young girl who'd just been told to go to her room. "A psycho has escaped and you want me to sit down. Don't think so, hon. I plan to be on my feet and ready for action just in case he tries to sneak up on me from behind." No sooner had she said that when a hand clasped her shoulder. "YAAHHH! It's him!"

Fortunately it was only Bloom. "Stop making a scene." She told her. Bloom had just arrived in front of an entourage that consisted of Flora and Musa. Now that all fairies were in the conference room, Tecna motioned for every one to take their seats. Stella was the last to do so and when she did she swiveled around in her chair as if expecting Icaran to pop out at her from a dozen different angles. Forgetting the princess for the moment, Tecna addressed the group. She sat in what was usually Skye's chair and it felt good to be calling the shots for once. "Glad to see everyone is okay." She started. "But now we have a real dilemma to deal with."

"Doy." Musa interrupted. "That's bastard's lose and you want to have a meeting. We already know what we have to do." She stood up, one fist on the table. "Hunt him down and cage him up."

"I agree." Said the princess of Tides. "We should stop wasting time and bring him in. We don't need the boys to do that."

"What we need," Tecna said. "Is a plan."

"What for?" Musa pressed.

Placing her hands on the table, neatly folded, Tecna iterated. "While we all agree that Mister Icaran is a most distasteful individual, he is quite resourceful. He somehow managed to disable the camera located in the brig and while I checked the system over and over again there is no sign of tampering with the force field around the cell. I've gone so far as to check for magical means of escape and came up with nothing. I have the computer running a bio scan of the entire vessel and, save for the six of us in this room, there is nothing alive aboard this ship. To put it simply, Icaran has quite literally vanished into thin air."

Bloom spoke up at this moment. "Maybe he transported off the ship."

"To where?" Musa turned on her. "Into deep space?"

The redhead reared at Musa's snide remark. "It was just a suggestion."

"We don't need suggestions. We need results." Musa turned her steely, dark eyes on Tecna, the supposed "leader" of the operation. "I say we do a ship-wide search and the first fairy to find him takes him down."

"I heard that." Layla agreed.

"What are you? Her echo?" Stella asked Layla.

"Enough." Tecna said. "Musa. We can't go around with the ship in this condition. Half the compartments are still in shambles and ruptures are still common. Only a third of the _Sparx_ is stable enough for human activity. It's as much a danger to us as it is to him."

"Well that should be no problem." Layla spoke again. "If only a third of the ship is habitable then it automatically shortens our search pattern. Less ground for us to cover."

"Except Icaran's half machine." Bloom said. "Did you guys see that wreck he called a ship? Timmy told me it would be next to impossible for a man to survive on that thing for a long period of time. It's not durable enough and can't hold much oxygen."

"So what are you saying, Bloom?" Tecna asked.

"I'm saying he must have some other way to survive those harsh conditions rather than the way we do. Something in that hoverchair of his maybe."

Musa raised her hands up in exasperation and slumped down on her chair. "Great. We're dealing with the Bionic Man."

"So what do we do?" Layla began. "Wait for him to catch one of us off guard? We can't spend all our time locked up in a room and we sure as hell can't wait for the guys to get back. They'll think we're a bunch of weak little girls if we did that."

Stella eyed her. "Since when do you care what the guys think?"

"I don't."

"You just admitted it."

"I admitted nothing."

Stella scoffed. "Girl, you're just as boy crazy as the rest of us."

Stella may as well have called her a slut. "Listen, Miss Thing,"

"Alright, that's enough!" Tecna slammed her hands on the table. It hurt like hell but she was getting mad. "Everyone just be quiet and listen to me. I am in charge of this vessel and I will decide our plan of action."

"Our new captain has a set of ovaries now, does she?" Stella quipped.

Tecna's teal, blue eyes burned at Stella but the princess took no offense. She had to remind herself that talking was Stella's way of handling stressful situations. Tecna had her own way of doing that too…the palm of her hand connecting with the side of her face.

Forcing down her ire, Tecna settled herself in. "Fine, then. Here's my plan. We first need to locate Mister Icaran and seeing as how the internals scanners aren't doing the job that means it'll have to be done the old-fashioned way." Her eyes turned on each fairy. "We need to divide into groups of two. Each team will search a grid of the ship and keep in contact with the others via walkie-talkie. Should any of the teams encounter Icaran the girls should alert the others and we will corner him. Once he is back in detainment we will figure out just how he escaped and make sure he doesn't do it again. That way, when Skye returns from the scouting mission it will be as if none of this had ever happened and he'll be none the wiser."

"Like he's wise to begin with." Layla muttered.

Bloom overheard that comment and bared her teeth at Layla.

"Does anyone else have a problem with that idea?"

Musa looked about ready to protest but stopped. Layla kept her mouth shut while Bloom looked at her and nodded. Stella's eyes were still darting about the room. When that girl became so paranoid, Tecna did not know. She then turned on the only fairy who hadn't said anything this whole time. "Flora?"

The brunette was just staring at the table throughout the conversation. When she heard her name, Flora looked up, shrugged and said, "Fine."

"Right then. Here are teams. Stella, you're staying with me." Someone had to keep an eye on her. "Flora, you're with Musa and Bloom with Layla." Tecna figured that she, Bloom and Flora were the more stable members of the group, hence they'd be able to keep the other three under control should things take a turn for the…well, an even greater turn for the worse. She handed out the walkie-talkies to each team member and then regarded them all once more. "Bloom and Layla will search decks four and five. Musa and Flora, decks three and two. Stella and I will take the bridge and the storage compartments. Questions?"

"Just one." Stella began. "Can we go winx for this one?"

The technical fairy smirked. "Like we'd do it any other way."

Stella beamed. "Yes! I'd like to see him sneak up on me when I go all fairy on his ass. Let's go girls! Magical Winx!"

---

Each team spit up to do their search grids. The section assigned to Bloom and Layla was the most heavily damaged but still safe to travel through. Light and nimble, the two fairies easily traversed the maze of fallen bulkheads and twisted steel walls. Bloom's power over fire provided them with illumination while Layla's water molecules created openings where once there were none. Between the two of them, they were covering a lot of ground, which was good since they did have the largest search pattern.

They stopped when Layla thought she saw as shadow and went in to investigate. Turns out it was nothing. "Not here." She said.

Tecna's voice came over the radio. _"Anything on your end, Bloom?"_

Bloom picked it up to answer. "Nothing yet. How about you?"

"_Bridge is clean and…hey! Stella don't,"_ There was a loud crash followed by a frightened shriek. _"He's got me! He's got me!"_

"_Those are just wires. I told you to stay out of the utility closet!"_

"Everything okay up there?" Bloom asked while biting back a chuckle.

"_Your best friend is seeing the boogeyman around every corner. Careful! You might break that. Hold on, let me help you."_

The fairies heard Stella complaining about something or other followed by several more items hitting the floor. _"Of all the…"_ Tecna sighed. _"Everything's relatively okay up here, Bloom."_

"We're moving to deck four. Deck Five is clear." She looked at the crooked halls. "Clear of escapees anyway. Check back with you soon." Bloom took flight with Layla close behind. The princess moved in closer to Bloom. "What do you think our chances are of finding him in this mess?"

"Not too good. But he couldn't have gone far. He's probably using some kind of technology to hide from us. Judging from that chair of his I wouldn't put it past him."

Layla dodged a vertical beam. "So you really think he's still aboard?"

"Has to be."

"What if he's not on any of our decks?"

"Then we'll just have to search each and every one. There's no way he's getting off the this ship. Besides," Bloom winked at her. "Where else is he going to go? His ship is still in need of repairs and there's no way he can escape this nebula on that hunk of junk." As Bloom turned her head back around, she didn't bother to voice the last part of that sentence. _Unless he knows something we don't._

---

Not a single word had been exchanged between Flora and Musa. For each her own reasons: Musa was hell-bent on capturing that half-man, half-machine abomination who insulted her, the thought of a little physical payback was the drive behind her wings; for Flora, it was something else to do besides ponder the realization that her love had nearly died for a cowardly friend. Helia's sacrifice was sullied by Bloom's behavior. Guilt? Shame? At least those were better than having your life hang by a thread. While she did not hate Bloom, she certainly had not forgiven her.

Musa suddenly slowed down when they entered the residential wing of the deck. This part of the ship was very recognizable to her since her room used to be at the end of that hall. She hadn't returned here since she found out the fate of her belongings…and her saxophone. Cursing herself for thinking of such trivial matters at a time like this, Musa fought back tears and slammed her fist against the wall. "Get it together, Musa."

"Musa." Flora walked up behind her. "What is it?"

Shaking her head. "Nothing." She wiped the last drop of moisture from her eyes. "Just thought I saw something is all."

But Flora didn't buy it. Her sense of perception was one of her better qualities and she saw through Musa's lie as if it were glass. "That used to be your room, wasn't it?"

"It's nothing." Musa said more harshly. "Let's go."

Musa took off and Flora followed but that didn't stop her from taking one last look down the hall before they left. The whole corridor looked as if a giant had stepped on it. Completely flattened though she knew that on the far side of that mess was an open vacuum. Somewhere, beyond that open space, was Musa's treasured saxophone. She could only imagine what a lose that must feel.

"Don't fall behind." Musa said up ahead.

"Pardon me." Flora matched her pace and they continued their search. Two more minutes and they called in to let Tecna know they found nothing and were moving on to the next deck. The problem with these searches is that it gave one a lot of time to think about things she did not want to think about. Something about the long, lonely corridors, quiet as a tomb, with an unresponsive fairy at your side made one's mind wander. Another downside to that was that all thoughts were unpleasant ones. Not much room for happy thinking when the place you were in looked and felt like a tomb.

---

"This is pointless." Layla exasperated. "Tecna's plan is so stupid. We could spend hours searching this ship and never find the guy." She kicked over a chair that had fallen on its side and sat down. Looking at Bloom who'd been rummaging from behind the counter she decided to let her know what was on her mind. "Why are we listening to her anyway? Shouldn't you be the one in charge?"

Bloom looked up at that question. Granted she was usually the one the fairies looked to for guidance when things went wrong, but she wasn't much feeling like a leader right now. "Skye put Tecna in charge." She said. "And we have to respect his decision."

"_His_ decision? What, now suddenly he runs our lives?" The irritated princess of Tides leaned over the edge of her chair. "It was _his_ decision that put us in this mess in the first place. I'm not all that confident in his leadership abilities right about now."

"Can we not do this?"

Layla flinched. "What?"

"I don't want to talk about Skye behind his back."

"You mean we can't speak our minds anymore?"

"I don't mean it that way. Why are you being so hostile all of a sudden?"

"Lets see." Layla thought. "How about my friends and I almost got killed because some schoolboy wanted to play hero and save the universe. I think he just wanted to show off in front of you to prove his manhood."

"Skye's not like that."

"Honey, all boys are. They care only about themselves."

Bloom glared at her. Then she settled. "Is that how you see your father?"

Layla, though, was not taken off guard by this. She had an answer to everything it seems. "My dad's always put the needs of his kingdom over me and my mother. Just another king strutting his stuff before the commoners. If he'd only spend more time being a father and less like a monarch things…may have turned out differently." She laid back, crossing her legs in front of her and her arms behind her head. Layla reclined as far as the chair would allow and looked up at the ceiling. "From then on I knew I could only depend on myself. Can't get too soft else some guy can think he can walk all over me."

She heard Bloom pull up a chair beside her. Layla couldn't help but chuckle aloud. "Pep Talk Time?"

"No." Bloom answered honestly. "I'm tired and I want to sit down."

Layla looked at her. It was clear from her slouching posture that she had no intention of trying to convince Layla otherwise about her outlook on men. Now that she thought about it, Bloom did look exasperated from the last time she saw her, and that had been before the accident. She was usually the fieriest member of their group, herself and Stella included, and yet her eyes had lost their luster. "What's bugging you?"

She spared Layla a brief glance before returning her eyes to the far wall. "I'm not in much of a mood for a pep talk either."

Which was good since Layla was just curious. She didn't much care about how bad Bloom felt. Wait! Why not?!

Why didn't she care?

Why was Stella freaking out?

Why did Musa go all catatonic?

Why was Flora suddenly anti-social?

Why was Tecna in charge?

For that matter, why the hell was she just sitting around while Icaran was still on the loose? Getting up, Layla walked towards the exit. She stopped when she heard no preceding footsteps. Sighing, she turned her head to see her companion fairy did not follow. "You coming or what?"

"Mm." Bloom nodded and grudgingly got to her feet.

_CRASH!!!_

Something shattered the light over their head and the whole room was bathed in darkness. Bloom could feel the shards from the light falling on her head which she quickly tried to protect. "Bloom!" Layla called, the concern returning to her voice. "What happened?!"

"The light broke." She could feel glass falling through her hair and winced as one of them nicked the sensitive skin behind her ears. Cursing a word unfamiliar to those not from Earth, Bloom stepped back and created a fireball to illuminate the room. Layla had been moving toward her last known position when the light died and was already ten spaces from her. The glass rubble laid at her feet…as did something else. Upon inspecting it, she found it to be a sharp, pointy object of some sort.

"Is that a knife?" Layla asked. Spending so much of her time underwater with so little light had sharpened her eyes to where they were more attuned to the darkness than Bloom's, hence she could see it from farther away.

"I don't know." Bloom reached down and gently picked up the object. Her delicate skin was partially cut by the razor edges but not enough to bleed. Bringing it up to the fireball, she traced the design with her eyes. It looked to have been the point of some kind of weapon—a spear perhaps—but was removed long ago. It was a little bulbous in the middle, but the sides were thinned out to a dangerous sheen. "Ever seen anything like this before?" She asked Layla.

"Can't say I have."

"Then what—" A loud shuffling sent both fairies in alert mode. Each upraised her hands into an attack posture as they searched for the disturbance. Several cups and pans had fallen to the floor for some unknown reason. One cup rolled over to where Bloom was standing and bumped into her boot. Her eyes followed the trail of the cup to the mess it had originated from. "Who's there?" she asked but no answer came. Focusing her eyes as best she could, straining more likely, she could barely make out a movement within the blackness.

"There's something there." Layla said with her more acute sight. "Raise the light." She told Bloom and she did just that.

As the edge of the fireball's glow enveloped the room, the fairies prepared themselves for what they were about to see, and see they did…briefly. It moved so fast that neither of them could get a good look. A black shadow burst from the rubble and sped right in between them. They both cried out, but Layla was able to fire off one magical blast of energy before she fell to the floor. If it hit, she couldn't tell, for Bloom's light went out when she lost her concentration so she had fired blindly. "Bloom, light!" Layla cried. When a new fireball burst to life in midair, the Winx girls found they were all alone. "It ran toward the exit." She told Bloom though her friend was just as happy it did. Whatever it was, it had scared the living daylights out of her.

"What was that?"

"No idea. But we have to go after it."

"Geez, it was fast."

Layla turned to her. "Either Icaran's faster than we thought or there's something else lose aboard this ship."

The Earth girl sighed. "Like we don't have enough problems to deal with." A sudden outburst startled her yet again. "Ah!"

"Bloom!" Layla said. "It's the radio. Tecna's trying to call us."

"Oh…right." She said rather embarrassed. Picking up the walkie-talkie, she answered. "Tecna?"

"_We just finished our sweep. Anything to report?"_

"Tecna, there's something aboard the ship."

"_Come again, Bloom?"_

The anxiety in her voice was painfully apparent. "Layla and I are in the cafeteria and we saw something. It ran towards the exit before we could get a good look at it but it just escaped and,"

"_Slow down. You're talking too fast."_

"But Tecna,"

"Give me that." Layla snatched the radio from her. "Tecna? Layla. We've got an unwanted passenger on this ship and it sure as hell isn't Icaran. Bloom and I are going to go after it but we'll need help. It's too fast for us to catch alone."

"_Affirmative. I'll seal off the deck so that nothing can get in or out without my codes. I'll send Flora and Musa to help you. Stella and I will head to the bridge and keep you updated on any movement."_

"Roger that. Let's go, Bloom." Layla grabbed her hand and forcefully led her outside the room. Bloom could not believe how freaked out she was. Now more than ever, she wished Skye were here.

---

Tired and bored, Musa and Flora had just finished their final sweep of the area paused briefly by the off-line lift to rest. They hadn't said much after leaving the corridor Musa's room had once been and that didn't look about to change. Each girl kept to herself, speaking only when they thought they saw something or making sure they didn't lose sight of one another.

Tecna's voice rang out, disturbing their thoughts.

Flora looked to Musa who shrugged and answered. "Yeah?"

"_How goes it, ladies?"_

"Nothing to see or do." She said plainly. "What's up with you?"

"_The same. It doesn't seem that our escapee is anywhere aboard the Sparx. Anyway, have you two spoken to Bloom or Layla recently because we can't seem to reach them."_

"Nope." Musa turned to Flora who shook her head. "Flo and I haven't spoken to anyone since…well you, right now."

"_How odd. I've been trying to reach them for the past two minutes. They should be two decks below you. Do you mind going down and seeing if they're alright?"_

"Might as well." Flora told Musa. "Nothing else we can do here."

"That's a go, Tec. We're on our way." Musa clicked the radio off. "Know the fastest way there?"

"I think I saw a chute leading down a couple corners back. Just follow me." Flora led the way past very familiar walls and ceilings until she stopped by a cone-shaped doorway that opened up to a ladder. "Kind of tight for our wings." Flora stated.

"That's why we've got arms and legs, Flo."

She nodded and was the first to begin the long climb down. Hold by tedious hold, the girls slowly made their way down the chute. They made sure to count the number of flights they climbed so as to not pass their floor. Once they reached it, they stepped out onto a surprisingly rubble-free hall, all thanks to the tireless efforts of the ship's artificial repair crew. The lighting was still an issue and only ever other corner had some sort of illumination. "See if you can reach them." Flora told her friend.

Musa did just that. "Yo, Bloom, do you read me?" There was no answer. "Bloom. Layla. Anyone there?" Still nothing. She shrugged her shoulders. "No one's home."

"I hope they're okay." _Even Bloom_. Flora winced at the thought.

"You okay?" Musa asked noticing her reaction.

"Yeah." She turned her back on Musa, providing proof to the contrary, but her notion frightened her. Flora was never a spiteful woman, nor was she one to carry a grudge; and yet here she was deciphering on whether or not she cared about the well-being of her friend. Bloom was her friend. No matter what happened between them they were still best friends. She had to remember that if just to keep her sanity.

"Tecna." Musa started speaking on the two-way radio. "We've tried reaching them but no go. Could their radio be busted?"

Tecna's voice returned. _"Probably. But I don't see why. I've checked them all myself and they were in perfect working order. They either misplaced it or broken it themselves."_ She stopped momentarily to address Stella. _"Hang on just one moment…I've found them! Layla and Bloom are less than fifteen meters from your position. They're moving at quite a velocity as well. You should be able to bump into them if you take the next junction to your left and keep heading towards sickbay. There's a ninety percent chance your paths will cross there but only if you hurry."_

The fairies took flight immediately. Their agile bodies zipped through the halls at remarkable speed. They followed Tecna's directions, Flora being quite familiar with this part of the vessel as she spent a good amount of time sitting beside Helia in sickbay, so she led the way with Musa in tow. Once they reached their destination, Flora stopped herself from entering the room where her boyfriend was lying and decided to wait for the others. "They should be here soon." She said more to herself than to Musa even though she nodded in agreement.

A strange sound emanated from behind the doors. "What was…" but before Musa could finish that question, Flora dashed into the medical ward for fear that something had happened to Helia. What she found was nothing out of the ordinary. The room was as quiet and peaceful as can be but that did not stop her from rushing to his side. She stopped beside his capsule and peered inside. Helia rested soundly. Checking his vitals, Flora found only a slight improvement from before but at least it was a sign that he was slowly coming back to the world of the living. "He's okay." She actually smiled.

"How's he doing?" Musa asked showing slight concern.

"He's fine. Getting better it seems."

"You must be happy."

"Well wouldn't you be if Riven was in here instead?" She watched Musa turn away. "I'm sorry. I didn't know there was still bad blood."

"It's…complicated." _No it isn't. He's an ass!_ "A lot of things to work out, you know?"

Flora did not press any further and just remained silent. The doors slid open and their two fellow fairies stepped—or rather, lunged, in. "Where is it?" Bloom asked getting into a fighting stance.

"Where's what?" Musa said.

"The thing that just went in here!" Layla barked. "We've been chasing it throughout the entire deck. Tecna told us this is where it ran to."

Musa motioned around the room. "Nobody here but us. You guys chasing shadows."

"In a sense." Layla answered. "Did you see it?"

"Tecna sent us to find you." Flora said. "She's been trying to reach you guys but you haven't answered."

Bloom and Layla looked at one another, very confused-like. When they turned back they spoke as one. "Huh?"

"Tecna." Musa said. "She sent us to find you because you didn't call back."

"What are you talking about?" Bloom stepped up. "We just spoke to her a while ago. We warned her about the thing we were chasing and she said she'd send you down to help us." One look at both girls told Bloom otherwise. "That is…why you're here…isn't it?" They shook their heads. "Okay, I'm confused."

Layla pulled out the radio. "I'm getting to the bottom of this. Tecna. Do you read? What going on up there?"

No answer.

"Answer me, Tecna. Hey!" She cried. "Anyone there?"

All was silent. Then the lights flickered on and off before dying altogether. Emergency lights kicked in, coloring the room in a reddish hue which was cryptic considering they were in a medical room. Backup generators provided the needed energy to keep Helia afloat and, to Flora's relief, keeping track of his status.

"Something's wrong." Bloom stated.

"Ya think?" Layla went to the door and it did not open. "Is this someone's idea of a bad joke?" she kicked it. "Open up!"

Musa rushed to Bloom's side. "What was that thing you were chasing?"

"We couldn't tell. It moved around so fast that neither of us got a good look at it. Tecna told us to come here."

"Tecna's stabbed us in the back!" Layla pushed, kicked, and did every conceivable thing to open that door but nothing worked. "Dammit!"

"Why?" Bloom asked. "Why would she do this?" She grabbed the radio from Musa's hand and pressed the "Call" button. "Tecna! What's going on? Help us, please. Tecna? Tecna!"

---

Aboard the bridge, a lone figure lit up a cigar and watched the baffled fairies inside the sickbay. He couldn't help but grin at their plight, afterall not too long ago he had been the one imprisoned. Those doors were damn near indestructible as well to provide the utmost safety for the wounded so they wouldn't be getting out anytime soon. Hell, they'd be lucky if they got out at all. His pet was hungry.

Turning to Stella and Tecna, Icaran bade them a smoky kiss as they lay tied up back-to-back on the floor. A bit cliché but whatever worked. Now this ship was his and the first manner of business was getting it up and running. When he first came aboard he had a treasure-load of oblivium in his ship's storage compartment. Now these young fools had provided him with an even bigger ship with means to carry an even bigger load…and, best of all, they brought him to the one place where he could find more.

A laugh escaped his dirty lips. Icaran, old boy, you're coming out of this a very rich man.

---

**I wanted to put more magic in this episode but couldn't find a place to fit that in. Hope this holds well until the next chapter, which probably won't be for another week or two. To all my fans…thanks and hoped you enjoyed.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Time for a little magic…**

---

Layla fired an energy blast which ricochet off the door and across the room. The fairies hit the deck while the sphere bounced off the wall, onto the floor, against the ceiling and destroyed a cart filled with medical equipment.

"Layla!!!" They cried as one.

Getting up, the princess of Tides turned to face her friends with a defiant look. "Well at least I'm trying to get us out of here. What have you guys done but huddle in the dark and whimper?"

"A key part of escaping," Bloom started. "Is getting out in one piece. We can't do that trying to blow up everything that gets in our way."

"Then you do something."

Bloom picked herself up off the floor, glaring at Layla who seemed to be getting on everyone's nerves. "I'm thinking."

"What are Stella and Tecna thinking?" Musa appeared from behind a bed where she had taken cover to avoid Layla's energy blast. "Did something happen to them?"

Layla rolled her eyes. "Knowing Stella she probably tripped on the controls to the door and sealed us in."

"All we know is," Bloom approached the door. "That we all received a communication from Tecna that led us to this room. If that's the case and we can no longer get in contact with them, then that means something must have gone wrong and that we have to get up there to make sure they're all right."

"First things first: the door." Layla tapped the metal exterior with an open palm. "How do we get out of here?"

Bloom placed her hand on the door as well. "Magic doesn't seem to work. If Stella were here she'd be able to transport us out of here using her ring."

"Well Miss Sunshine isn't here so let's think of something else."

Glowering, Bloom turned away and raised a hand to her chin, deliberating. "There has to be some way out of this room. Maybe if we look around we can find some other exit."

"Mean like a vent?" Musa asked.

Bloom nodded.

The girls began looking around for one and Musa was the first to spot it. "Check it!" The blue-haired fairy pointed to vent, just above the capsule where Helia was recuperating, that was just big enough for a human being to crawl through. Wasting no time, Musa flew up to the vent and pried it open. "How's it look?" she heard Bloom ask. "Kind of tight." She answered. "But it looks like we can fit through it."

"Go for help." Flora said. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on Helia."

"You're boyfriend's fine, Flora." Layla said. "Hell he's safer here than anywhere else."

"She's right." Bloom added. "We might need your help."

"I don't know."

"Maybe we should split up." Musa offered.

Bloom shook her head, falling into her customary role as leader of the Winx Club. "No. We stick together. I don't want anyone of us being alone until we secure this ship."

"Why does it have to be what _you_ want?" Musa turned on her.

"And why is it okay to leave Helia alone?" Flora stepped up to Bloom, hands on hips. "Just because he's not your guy doesn't make him any less important."

"Fine!" Bloom growled. "Layla, you stay here with Flora. Musa and I will…"

"Why do I have to stay? I want to kick some ass."

"I don't need her protection, Bloom." Flora crossed her arms.

"Why don't you stay?" Layla pressed the redhead. "Musa and I can take care of ourselves without you trying to bail us out."

"I have to go because I'm,"

"What? The strongest. Look at Miss Thing." Layla wisecracked.

The two fairies seemed ready to find out just who was the strongest at that moment. Musa shook her head in frustration. "While you two decide who's got the bigger ovaries, I'm getting out of here." Musa tried to squeeze herself in, and squeeze she did, for it was very tight. Her lithe frame managed to compensate and she slowly crawled inside the vent. She made it a few feet when she saw something: a movement just ahead of her followed by a low growl. "Um…"

"Musa, move your butt." Bloom prodded her from behind.

"There's something here."

"What?" Bloom didn't hear her right.

The thing approached and Musa struggled to get out. "Get back!"

"Musa?"

"Ah!" the fairy shot out of the vent and into Bloom who was hovering just behind her. They crashed onto Helia's capsule and Flora screeched thinking they may have damaged the thing. Luckily, no cracks appeared and the two girls just sprawled over one another on the floor. Layla suppressed a chuckle but stopped when she saw something come out of the vent. "What the hell?"

The remaining fairies looked up and saw it. A creature so vague it appeared like a shadow; its midnight-black skin pulsating with dark energy. The front of the body was shaped like an empanada, bulging in the middle but thinning out along the edges. The rest of it was elongated like a serpent's frame, wriggling out of the vent like some predator defending its lair. So large was the head that it could have squashed two fairies beneath its bulk. At the forefront sat five golden eyes, beaming with angry fire. Like a jellyfish, the head expanded and contracted as if that what was pulling the large mass across the ceiling, for it was indeed hanging from the ceiling with no apparent legs. The strange creature eyed the four fairies and slowly began to descend.

Flora, Musa, Layla and Bloom huddled together in a group. They stared at the creature in pure shock at first, fear the next, but it was the most docile member of the group who broke them out of it when she saw her lover in danger. "Helia!"

The thing's black coil of a body touched the surface of Helia's capsule and Flora feared that it would break, crushing Helia inside. "Get away from him!" Flora fired emerald blasts of magic at the creature who absorbed it as easily as a sponge would water. She cried out before taking a step backward. "Oh no!"

"Step back!" Now it was Musa's turn. She raised her hands and emitted a strong sonic wave which hit the creature head on. It writhed at first, a smile crossing Musa's thin lips, and was slammed back against the far wall. But the creature was not the only thing who felt the effects of the blast. The sound wave was so strong that it shattered the glass encasing Helia. Even the powerful wave was drowned out by Flora's scream. "No!" Musa cried out and ceased the attack which was all the creature needed to begin its own.

It fired some dark energy web that entrapped the fairies within.

"This is not good!" Layla pulled and tugged with all her might but the web stayed firm.

"Bloom, do something." Flora cried. She wanted to see if Helia was alright but the web held her in check. "Can't you burn this?"

"I'll try." The Earth girl touched the surface of the web and concentrated. Flames encircled her hands and she grabbed on tight. At first it seemed to be working but then they died out. "No!"

"Let me try something." Layla tried using her infamous magical dome to push the web off of them. The dome grew to about just her size before dying down. "It's like all our magic is being drained."

Bloom cursed out something in the Terran language. The others followed suit, using terms from their native tongues while the creature slowly approached them. "Stay back!" Bloom yelled. "Don't come any closer."

"This can't be it." Musa said, tears welling in her eyes. "Riven…"

"Helia!" Flora screamed. "No!"

"Back off you son of a bitch!" Layla was in no position to threaten but the princess would no go quietly.

Bloom watched it approach, the head holding position just above them. While it had no mouth, the girls pretty much figured what it had planned to do with them. They were, afterall, flies caught in the spider's web.

"Stop!"

The dark jellyfish-snake and the fairies turned towards the originator of the voice. Cut from all the shattered glass and breathing heavily, Helia stood up for the first time in hours. He was still weak from the prolonged inactivity and shock of his near-death experience, but his eyes shone with a terrible resolve.

All human eyes, Flora's in particular, lit up.

The creature turned to Helia, its golden eyes narrowing on his blue. He stood his ground, however shaky that may be at the moment. "Don't harm them."

"Helia!" Flora cried.

"Be careful!" Bloom said while Musa and Layla looked on in worry.

The creature pressed its head just inches from Helia's face as if trying to make sense of him. Who was this little creature who had stopped it from enjoying its meal?

Helia stared back, unafraid. "Don't." He said. "I know you mean us no harm."

---

After tending to Timmy's wounds, Prince Skye returned to the mouth of the cave where the storm rained down upon them with a vengeance. "How bad is it?"

Brandon turned to him, as serious as face as ever the prince seen his friend wear. "Any one of us would be hard-pressed climbing back down. Carrying Timmy would be downright suicidal. Those winds are strong enough to lift a grown man off any surface. And Skye," Brandon sighed. "We have a limited window if we want to get back out into space. The clouds are moving in and pretty soon we'll be stuck. It could be hours, even days before we get another chance to lift off again."

"Timmy's needs medical attention. I have no idea what that worm-thing did to him but he's getting sick."

"Probably injected him with something to make him easier to digest." Brandon felt sick at the prospect. He truly hoped his friend would be okay but things were not looking good. After clawing their way out of the rubble and out of the shaft, the boys paused briefly to have a look at Timmy. His face turned white and his pulse had weakened. Most likely it was due to some paralyzing agent the worm used to keep him from fighting back. If that wasn't enough, his temperature had gone up in the past few minutes and he was running a fever. The medical supplies they brought weren't enough to bring him back to full health. They needed the resources of the _Sparx_ and its medical bay if they wanted to save him. The problem was that the planet had other ideas. The winds were so strong that any one of them would have been blown clear off the mountain had he attempted the climb. What's worse, they couldn't contact the ship through the atmospheric inference. To put it simply, they were up shit's creak without a paddle.

"Yeah." Skye ran a hand through his blonde hair, cursing this entire mission.

"We'll get him back." Brandon reassured. "Nothing's going to stop us from saving him so don't start doubting yourself now."

The voice of encouragement seemed to settle him. "You're right. It's just…it's just hard sometimes, you know?"

"Leaders have to make tough calls, bro. That's why I'm just the muscle and you're the brains."

"Don't sell yourself short. You're plenty smart…when you want to be."

"Thanks…I think."

Skye padded him on the shoulder. "Now why don't you use those brains and see if you can come up with a way to get us out of here. I'm going to check up on Timmy." The prince left his friend and returned to the interior. Timmy was resting comfortably inside an insulated sleeping back. Though "comfortably" probably wasn't the right word for it. Checking his thermometer, Skye found Timmy's fever exceeding a hundred and eight. He was getting worse. Timmy's head shifted from side to side and he began to mumble.

"He started doing that a minute ago." Riven came up to them and knelt down, placing a wet rag on the boy's burning forehead. "Can't make heads or tails of it."

"Delirium." Skye said. "One of the sure signs of Hypothermia. He won't last much longer."

Riven raised an eyebrow. "Giving up?"

"Never." Skye turned stern. "Just being realistic."

"Or pessimistic." Riven stood up. "In case you don't know that's my job. You're job is to lie to everyone by saying everything is going to be okay and pretend like you know what you're doing." Riven walked back towards where they had all their stuff. His words stayed in Skye's ears and gave him something to think about. A leader was supposed to ensure his subordinates even when he believed their chances of survival were nil. He had to be strong in the face of opposition else his comrades lose faith. Skye wondered if all his friends thought of him in that way: look tough even when you're scared.

But when the odds were so stacked against you, even a leader's resolve began to wane. How long could he hold out? This would be a true test of his spirit. Timmy groaned and began to mutter something. Skye leaned in and could make out the name "Tecna" being said over and over again. Poor guy. A girlfriend would be good right about now.

---

Mister Icaran whirled his chair around to face the two unconscious fairies. He fancied the blonde one more, having a thing for flaxen-haired young women. Particularly those of the royal variety. Icaran looked up some of the personnel files while skimming through the ship's onboard computer system and he was delighted to discovery the true identity of the tanned-skin, golden maned fairy. She was Princess Stella of Solaria and how beautiful she was. Sitting there, all tied up with her arms bound behind her back with special metal coils that prevented her from using her winx, Icaran could not help but admire her. Not one for S&M, he wouldn't dream of taking advantage of the girl while she slept—oh no!—Mister Icaran was not that kind of man.

How he wished he was thirty years younger and still had his legs. She and everyone aboard this ship would be singing a different tune had they known him then.

He swiveled around to the other fairy that, despite her mundane appearance, was quite attractive herself. She may have lacked the princess' exotic coloring and hair, but her pale skin shone like an alabaster stone. Her pinkish hair was cut short and stuck out from beneath the cowl of her winx outfit. It gave her an almost tomboyish look but that didn't take away from her features; the way her skin-tight body suit hugged her curves, rolled over her hips and treaded down her long legs. Tecna was her name, according to the computer, and she was the most brilliant student at Alfea.

Alfea…he'd heard of the infamous school for fairies. Having never been to Magix itself, Icaran wondered what it would have been to walk along the marvelous boulevards of that great city. The three schools of Magix were infamous throughout the realms. He'd heard tell that only the finest were accepted and the curriculum was very high profile. Icaran imagined the teachers were quite uppity as well. Places like that only bred the most arrogant and obnoxiously imperialistic people in the universe. It's people like that that forced Icaran into the life he was in today.

One more look at Tecna and he wondered was she any different? Probably not, he told himself. Had she not, Tecna would have done a better job of securing the most vital part of the entire ship. Only a truly overconfident individual would take menial precautions simply because they felt they were unassailable. "Got an education today, didn't you love?" He said in his rasp-filled voice. Pulling out a cigarette, Icaran took one big whiff before sending the trail flowing into Tecna's face.

The fairy coughed.

"Ah. Awake, are we?" He cracked a smile before pulling out the cigarette, dumping part of the refuse on the floor. "How ya feeling?"

Tecna coughed some more. Her eyes were watery from all the smoke and her head ached from the unwelcome sleep Icaran forced upon her. She thinks she may have hit the ground pretty hard too so that must also be a part of it. Once her pupils focused, she found herself looking at a very distasteful man. "You."

"Welcome back." Icaran said, putting the cigarette back. "Trust you had a fine rest?"

Despite being weak and bound, Tecna forced a scowl. "You _bastard_." Her accent made the word sound very sexy. "How did you get out of your cage?"

"Last I checked, it was called a brig." He puffed aloud. "And that's my trade secret, lass."

Tecna saw Stella still out cold several feet to her left. "Stella." She turned to Icaran. "Is she all right? What have you done to her?"

"The girl's fine. _Very_ fine." He winked.

A disgusting bile crept up Tecna's mouth and it wasn't due to any internal illness. "You sick freak."

"Most would take that as an insult. Not me, though. I rather like it. Makes one stand out in a crowd full of no ones, wouldn't you say?"

"You know what I'd say," She began. "Piss off."

"Dirty mouth you have. I love it." Icaran turned back to the main console of the bridge. Up on the screen was a list of the ship's main systems, cargo manifest, reparation schedules and crew listings. "Quite a party you've assembled aboard this fine vessel. All from Magix, hm? What brings you out to this neck of the woods?"

The fairy refused to answer any of his questions. Instead she focused on the main screen. On the lower right-hand side, there was a video feed from the ship's working cameras. Several images flashed by after a few seconds and she didn't see her friends on any of them. Icaran looked over his shoulder. "Problem?"

She turned away.

He really liked this one. Defiant women always fascinated Icaran—how they thought their little attitudes would get them anywhere. He enjoyed breaking them. If just to see them crumble to their knees and cry. He enjoyed breaking men too but they just didn't sound as fun when they were wailing from their defeat. "How's about you and I have a little drink?"

Tecna looked as if he'd just asked her to bear his children. "What?!"

"A drink. Shot. Pint. Larger. Do I need to spell it out for you? I thought you were the smart one."

Icaran pulled out a bottle filled with some kind of clear, red beverage from where he sat. Where he had it, she did not want to know, but two vintage glasses appeared in his other hand as he approached Tecna. "Come now. Just because I've succeeded in a hostile takeover of your ship doesn't mean we can't be friends now."

"You're mad. Do you know that?"

"Very well, my lady, very well." Icaran laughed as he poured her a drink.

"I refuse." She said bluntly.

"I insist."

Tecna growled. "You can forget it. I will not get cozy with a man like yourself. My sanity would come into question if I did so."

"Your well-being will too if you don't." Icaran spoke friendly but behind it was the hint of a threat. Apparently he was not the kind of man who took kindly to refusals. He finished pouring the wine into the other cup and put the bottle back in his chair before extending one to Tecna. "Here."

"Here what? I'm tied up, you buffoon."

"Drink."

She was taken aback. "You want me to sip it from your hand like some stray dog?" as if tying her up wasn't bad enough, Icaran was stripping her of her dignity. He was a puzzle to the fairy. One moment he took control of the ship and the next he was offering her something to drink. Most men were easy to read but this one took unpredictability to a whole new level. "No." she said.

Icaran smiled. "Please."

"Release me at once."

"Or…" he let the question hang.

_Or? Or what? The braggart's got me in a corner and there's no way out except…_

What if she played his game? Normally Tecna wasn't one for "flirting" with the enemy but the situation was out of her control and she needed to regain it. Icaran did seem interested in her, albeit for fraternizing purposes only. Perhaps she could buy some time. Maybe she'd learn what exactly it was he was up to and that knowledge could help her regain control of the ship. A side glance at Stella and she knew she was on her own. Too bad Icaran didn't wake her up first. Something told Tecna that her blonde-haired friend would be much better at this than her.

_Here goes…_

Tecna put on her best smile. "All right. Just a sip." She pursed her lips toward the tip of the cup and Icaran quenched her thirst. It was a tasty vintage; sweet, a little sour, but smelling of the finest grapes Tecna had ever known. "Mm. Wonderful."

Icaran smiled. "Only the best." He drank his next.

"So tell me," Tecna began with her most voluptuous voice. "What are you planning to do with our ship?"

"Simple." Icaran said. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and Tecna had to keep from gagging. "Get rich."

"How so?"

"Trade."

"Trade what?"

"Resources."

"For?"

"Money."

_Stella was definitely better at this._

"But surely a man like yourself doesn't need to rob a few kids to obtain the wealth he seeks?"

"Most kids don't have a ship like this."

"True."

"And most kids aren't the Prince of Eraklyon or the Princess of Solaria."

"Granted."

"And," Icaran raised a finger. "Most kids don't just stumble on to the greatest profit margin in the universe."

Tecna raised an eyebrow. "Profit margin? Here?"

"Think now, girl. The universe is a dangerous place. What more could people want than the means to protect themselves?"

She thought about it. "The oblivium. You want to sell it?" He nodded. "And you can carry great amounts thanks to our ship's cargo capacity."

Icaran chuckled. "Brighter than you look, girl."

She ignored him. "But the pirates who mine the oblivium—they're not just going to let you get a bigger share of the profits without benefiting themselves. What's to stop them from attacking us and taking the _Sparx_ for their own?"

"Simple." Icaran said. "They can't."

The young woman shook her head. "I don't understand."

"They can't attack us…because they're all dead."

---

"I know you mean us no harm."

For a moment, the fairies thought they had misheard the specialist as the dark, serpentine creature loomed over him. But that was not so. Helia showed no fear as the massive black head pressed itself closer, five golden orbs of hellish fire boring in. Despite the numerous cuts from the broken dura-glass when the capsule exterior had shattered, Helia was the picture of health and vigor. His breathing had slowed to a normal pace and he met this foe as any warrior would: strong, defiant, and not the last bit afraid.

But what of those who feared death in his stake?

"Helia, don't!" Flora yelled. She and the fairies were still trapped within the dark web of magic-sapping energy the creature "spat" on them. Neither her, Bloom, Layla or Musa could use their winx to break out of the seemingly impenetrable goo, and they were as helpless as mice caught in a snake's coil. Terrified for their lives, the girls pretty much felt this was it for them, that they were about to meet their respective makers, when Helia arose from the medical capsule and called the monster's attention to him.

Now eye-to-eye-to-eye-to-eye-to-eye-to-eye-to-eye, the combatants squared off. Helia held no apparent weapon other than his sharp mind. Did he plan to defeat this abomination with riddles? A witty joke? A heated conversation detailing the reasons behind the economic boom of the Wallestreet Dimension? Just what was he thinking going toe-to-tail with a creature that overpowered four Alfea fairies without so much as a kitchen knife?

"What is he doing?" Layla asked. She could not believe the boy was stupid enough to think he'd be a match for the creature on his own. It took them out easily enough and they had magic. What did Helia have? Apparently not common sense. "Does he want to get killed?"

Bloom wasn't sure of his chances…hell, he was a goner. But she kept her negativity to herself. It must be hard, she imagined, for Flora to watch her lover attempt a suicidal strategy while she was unable to do anything to help. Seeing Helia standing alone against the monster was nothing short of imbecilic, if not courageous—and she wished for more than anything that it'd be her out there instead of him. Helia almost gave his life so that Bloom would live. Now he'd just come out of a coma only to face death yet again. Fate, it seemed, had a very twisted sense of humor.

"Don't." They heard Helia say.

_Is he trying to reason with it?!_ Bloom's mind screamed. That conduit explosion must have done more damage than they previously thought. Since when did prey reason with the predator? Bloom recalled a fable her mother once read to her about the lion and the mouse. The mouse, fearing for its life, convinced the lion to let it go stating that he would help the lion one day should the need arise. The lion, amused at the tiny creature's statement, decided to let him go. When the lion was captured in a net set by the most dangerous predator in the world, man, the mouse arrived and nibbled away at the ropes until the lion was set free. An ironic twist, but one with a very enlightening lesson to teach. Help can come in the most unlikely forms and everyone needs help once in a while.

But Helia was no mouse and the serpent-thing was no lion. Whatever Helia had in mind had better be quick and to the point for the creature didn't look like it was about hold back any longer…

…Helia's hand reached out to touch it.

_He's lost his damned mind!_

"Helia!" Flora wailed again.

"The boy's crazy!" Musa said.

"Dammit!" Bloom tried once again to burn her way out of the net but her fire was too weak and too small to do anything. Whatever happened now, Helia was on his own.

The boy from Red Fountain stood his ground. His outstretched hand was fully extended. The creature watched him with its five eyes, trying to decipher the food-thing's incalculable behavior. Their eyes met yet again. Something about the way Helia looked at it stirred the creature in a most unusual way. It had senses that were beyond human comprehension and saw the world in a much different light. Its home had been one of complete and utter darkness where the only light had been emitted by phosphorent moss that grew along the cave walls. It also had the unique ability to see more than just physical matter. In a world of shadows, it was keen to survival to see the essence of a potential threat. It was like looking into the soul of something else and learning whether or not it posed a danger to you.

This one…did not.

Shocking the fairies, the serpent-thing lowered its head to Helia's hand. They made contact and the specialist smiled. "I knew you were good."

Gawking, Bloom was the first to speak out. "What just happened?"

"Flo's boy made good with the snake." Musa said in her street lingo.

Helia gave the creature a friendly pat before regarding the confused fairies. "It's alright. He won't hurt us."

"He?" Bloom asked.

"It's a boy." He stated. "He told me, himself."

Flora could not believe her eyes—or her ears. But all her doubts vanished in an instant. "Helia, you're okay."

"Couldn't be better." He chuckled as the "monster" rubbed his great head against his side and…cooed?

"Glad to see you're feeling better." Came Layla's agitated voice. "Now would you kindly ask your new friend to let us out of this thing? My skin's starting to chaff."

Helia seemed to impart a mental note to the creature who eagerly complied. It, or rather "he", moved toward the fairies who cringed at his approach. The dark serpent's eyes glowed, and the black net melted away into nothingness.

"Yeah!" Musa exclaimed and Flora rushed to embrace Helia. As the lovers hugged, the fairies of Alfea took time to study the giant serpent. "Guess he ain't such a bad guy afterall." Musa said.

But Layla and Bloom weren't too sure. "Musa," Layla began. "It just tried to eat us."

"Eat your energy most likely." Helia said when Flora allowed him the space to talk. Never has she held him so tightly before. Not that he was complaining, mind you. "I've read something about his species before. They are from the Dark Dimension. They don't have physical forms parse, so they look to other ways to find sustenance. His kind traps their prey in black webs that slowly absorb their energy; then, they consume the energy stored in the nets before moving on." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Actually you weren't in any real danger. You see they don't eat _all_ of the energy. Just enough so that are filled which is quite easily. They leave just enough so that their prey doesn't die, rather falls into a deep sleep. I have a feeling he was about to do the same to you."

"Oh that makes me feel _much_ better." The sarcasm in Layla's voice was dripping at the mouth.

Bloom kept a cautious eye on the snake while regarding Helia. "Helia, how are you able to communicate with him? Is he telepathic?"

"Not sure. It's like we can see into each other's soul. Kind of like speaking through the spirit."

"Like me and my plants." Flora said. "I speak to them all the time though no words are exchanged."

Musa scratched her head. "Uh…that doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

Flora turned to her. "Sure it does. On some worlds, druids use this same technique to speak to the trees and animals. They each have their own language and it would be impossible to learn them all, but with heart-speech, as some have come to all it, they can communicate simply with feeling." She nestled herself onto Helia's arm. "Kind of like two people in love do all the time." Helia blushed a bit at her very public affection.

Bloom looked back at the serpent. "So you knew it wasn't going to do us any harm because you _felt_ it?"

"No." All eyes fell on Helia.

"Then how?" The redheaded fairy came to ask.

"I knew it wouldn't hurt us because it saved us, Bloom." He gently removed Flora from his arm and approached Bloom. Once beside her, he turned to look at the great black serpent. Their eyes met again. "Back in the corridor, when the conduit exploded, I tried to save your life even though I knew it would be hopeless. I knew we'd be burned alive by the hot steam. Before it hit, however, something saved us. This," he searched for the right words. "being, jumped in and shielded us from the steam. Had it not been for him, you and I would be dead right now."

Shocked, Bloom rotated to him. "What? You mean it wasn't you that,"

"No." He answered before she could finish. "Try as I might, I was completely helpless. The blast from the conduit was enough to knock me out cold but before I passed out, I saw him rise up before us. In that brief instant, I felt his intentions. He knew we were in danger and jumped in to help. We owe him our lives, Bloom."

"All this time I thought you'd erected some kind of barrier to protect us. I thought you were a wizard."

Helia could not help but chuckle. "I may be the nephew of Professor Saladin, but some family traits skip a generation or two. I'm just an artist who on the side happens to be a capable fighter. This guy's the true hero." Helia padded him again and again it "cooed."

"Hold up." Layla stepped forward, not willing to let this go. "Let's not forget that we were led into a trap and that we're still stuck inside this room. Tecna told us to come here and then locks the door. Did she know this…thing, would be here waiting for us? Did she do this on purpose?"

"Layla's right. We have to get to the bottom of this." Musa regarded the sealed doors. "How do we get out of here?"

"Blasting our way out won't work." Bloom said. "But Skye should be back real soon. He and the boys will,"

"I'm not waiting here to be rescued like some pathetic damsel in distress. Those wannabe heroes," she paused. "No offense." She bowed to Helia who took none. "May not get here in time anyway. So let's put our heads together and find a way out of this like real fairies."

"I'm with ya." Musa agreed.

"Wait a minute," Helia began. "Skye's gone?"

"On a mission." Bloom told him. "He and the guys went to scout out the mining facility on the planet."

"And Tecna's,"

"On the bridge with Stella." Musa thought a moment. "At least, we think so."

"But she's the one who led you all in here?"

"And we're trapped. Apparently." Bloom sighed.

Helia glanced at each fairy—his head spinning. "Okay," he massaged his cranium. "Why don't you tell me everything that's happened? I have a feeling I should have stayed in a coma."

---

**I did this chapter in segments. I rewrote the Tecna part over and over and over until finally it just clicked. Watch as she tries to uncover the whole story from Mister Icaran in the next chapter. Things are not as they seem as the team makes an unlikely friend in the black serpent and Helia finally rejoins the group. Buckle in because things are about to get much, much worse.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Demons…**

**---**

Once the girls had finished their story, Helia shook his head. "I'm out a few hours and things go straight to hell."

"This isn't time for jokes, Helia." Layla said. She'd been the most edgy of the group and, Helia noticed, most frightened. He was a good judge of character in addition to being an artist. Reading people was a lot like deciphering the emotions behind an artistic piece. Every line told a story; revealing just a little bit of what the creator was feeling and wanted to portray. Had Layla been a painting no doubt the artist was scared and bottled up his or her emotions behind a strong façade. Perhaps, he thought, Layla had experienced so much pain and suffering that her only outlet was outbursts like this one.

Either that or she was just a bitch. Helia wouldn't dare say something like that out loud for fear of aggravating the situation – and Layla – further than it already was. But his patience and pride had their limitations and it angered him the way Layla would talk down to him and his friends. She was a proud woman. Strong. Smart. Beautiful once you got past the attitude. And confident! Boy was she _confident_. Maybe that was the real issue here. As a princess and a fairy, Layla was confident in her abilities to see her through any situation. If even half of what the girls told him was true, then that wall of self-assurance must be pretty weak right about now. For the moment he decided to cut her some slack.

"I'm sorry, Layla. I didn't mean to,"

"Why are you apologizing for?" Flora, who had been sitting beside him on the medical bed, asked. She turned her emerald-eyed gaze on the princess and said, "Leave him alone. He's been through a lot."

"Well excuse me!" Layla exclamated by throwing her hands up in the air. "I guess lying in a capsule for several hours constitutes as a lot. And what have we been through? Carnival? Because I don't know about you but my time sure sucked."

Turning her head sideways and muttering in a low tone so that only Helia was the one to hear. "That's not all about you that sucks."

Helia was taken aback by the harshness of the comment but kept on a straight face. Any indication of shock might alert Layla to the silent retort and the last thing they needed was a fight breaking out.

"It's sucked for all of us." Bloom said. Normally, she being the peacekeeper of the group, her words of reason would calm everyone down but it was clear to Helia at least that she was as agitated as anyone. Her face was hard as she spoke. "So let's try to stay friends and figure a way out of here."

"What about him?" Musa asked. She was talking about the creature from the Dark Dimension who had been hovering silently all this time. It seemed to be studying them with its multiples eyes. Had it understood anything they said they could not tell but that didn't mean there wasn't an intelligent sentience behind that misty form.

"What about _him_?" Layla used the term loosely.

"He can fit into the vent no problem. You saw the way he just snaked out of there and took shape once he was on the ceiling. I bet you anything he can move through those tights spaces a lot faster than we can. What say he goes in, searches for a way out, and then finds a way to open the door from the outside? He can do it if we ask nicely."

"Sorry Musa," Layla began. "But that thing's probably working for Icaran. I wouldn't put our lives in it's ha…well, disembodied limbs, just like that. Who's to say it won't go rushing back to him once it escapes?"

"He could have escaped at any time, Lay. I think he wants to help us. Look how he saved Bloom and Helia."

"And look at how it almost sucked the magic out from under us."

"We know better. 'Sides, we still need to find Tecna and Stella. The faster we get out of here the faster we can take back out ship. I don't know about you, but I think Tec's in trouble."

"Either that or she's turned turncoat on us."

"Layla!"

"Alright, fine. I take it back. But if we don't out of here soon I'm going to blow a freakin' gasket."

"Then let's leave before that happens." Helia got off the bed and turned towards the creature. All eyes focused on the youth as he approached it. Its shadowy body shifted from corporeal to almost invisible and only when a hand reached out to it did it finally move. "Please. Can you help us one more time? Open the door." Helia spoke slow and clearly.

"How do you know if it understands you?" Bloom asked.

"Yeah, Helia. I didn't know you spoke monster." Layla actually smiled for once.

"I thought this wasn't the time for jokes." Flora spat at her but the princess stuck out her tongue and that was that. Bloom moved in between the two just in case it wasn't.

"So?" Musa asked after several moments of silence. "What did it say?"

"Haven't a clue. I must sound like a barking dog to him."

"Well keep barking. Maybe something will get through."

Bloom couldn't believe that Layla would make another sarcastic comment all of a sudden. She thought of berating her when a thought came to mind. "Heart-speech. Helia, talk to it with your heart."

Scratching his head, Helia turned unsure. "I'm not sure how to go about doing that. You see last time it was just an involuntary communication."

"Try." She ordered.

Turning back to the serpent-thing, Helia concentrated, his eyes fixated on those of his savior. _Help us. Set us free. Go through the vent. To the hall and to the door. Get us out. Please._

More moments passed before the creature finally complied. Its body shifted into shadow form and it easily seeped into the narrow vent as vapor would an intake gauge.

"Did it work?" Musa asked.

"I think." He addressed the girls. "Either he's gone out to help us or he's going to get something to eat."

"No more jokes, Helia." This time it was Bloom who said that.

"Jokes nothing. I've been inside a tube for hours. Those IV's didn't do squat. I'm starving"

---

"What do you mean they're all dead?"

"Dead. Not breathing. Lacking respiratory function."

"I do not mean in the literal sense, you old fool. Now answer my question. What happened to the pirates?"

"Let's just say their working conditions turned hostile real quick-like."

Tecna still didn't understand. "How so?"

Icaran laughed at her ignorance. As intelligent as she was, he realized that she was still a child when compared to him. So sheltered and so unknown in the ways of the wild universe. A pity she had to stumble onto this place. Best she not know what lurks in the dark.

"I'll make you a deal, miss." Icaran swiveled his hover chair around to face the main computer console and rode on over. "I will gladly tell you everything I know about this facility and the fate of its former occupants if you help me get this ship up and running again." He turned back to face her. "What do you say?"

"So you can get all the oblivium you need, ride out of this nebula and then what? Hm? Throw us all into space? Kill us and have our bodies floating out into the expanse forever while you go off getting stinking rich? I don't think so."

He laughed. "Hardly. I may be a criminal but I'm no murderer. That is, so long as you don't get between me and what's rightfully mine. I'll drop the lot of you off on some habitable planet with food and supplies and a short-range radio so that the next available ship that happens by will drop in and pick you up. How's that sound?"

"Like a fib."

"A fib? I'm many things, girl, but a liar is not one of them."

"You've been an unkind guest ever since we brought you aboard our ship. You break out of your cell, render my companion and I unconscious and then go about seeking riches using our resources and then expect help?" Tecna could not hold back a smirk. "Tell me, are you mad, or did you lose more than just the other half of your body in that accident?"

Normally Tecna's words would not have been well-advised but the bizarre nature of her situation called for a bit of denigration. She may have been knocked out but that didn't mean she was stupid. A bit foolish maybe for allowing it to happen in the first place but she sought to rectify that mistake by not giving into his demands.

Icaran showed no malice towards her. Instead he smiled like a boy who'd just been told he'd received his favorite present.

"I lost a great deal more than that, Miss Tecna. But you're right. If I were in your situation I wouldn't be so prone to believe anything I'd say. But consider this. How do you expect me to go about mining all that oblivium? I can hardly do that by myself even if I still had my legs. I could use the robots but I haven't the foggiest idea on how the damned things work. Nor am I computer savvy. To put is simply, I need you to help me get rich. Be a downright moron if I let anything happen to you or your friends."

_My friends!_

In all the hassle she'd forgotten about their well-being. "Are they okay?"

"They're fine. Last I checked they were all nice and snug in the ship's medical bay. Least half of them are. I'm guessing the boys went down to the planet, right?"

Tecna held her tongue.

"Not a wise decision but boys will be boys, I guess. With luck they'll survive the storm that's been brewing over the northern hemisphere. That's the least of their worries, though."

"Why?"

Icaran smiled. "If you promise to help me then I'll tell you everything I know."

Tecna weighed her options. What the man said was true; he couldn't pilot this ship without her help. Nor did he have any hope of obtaining the oblivium solo either. Hence he needed her in order for his plan to succeed. But something bothered Tecna. Besides the fact that there's no telling what Icaran would do once he had the oblivium and the ship under his control, she asked herself, "why didn't he just wait until we fixed the ship first then proceeded to take it over?" It would have made things much easier and half the job would have been done. Then again, she contradicted, with the ship in its current condition and half the crew gone, there was no better time to strike. Now Skye was stuck on the planet while Tecna was tied up and her friends immobilized. Could there be some other option she hadn't thought about?

Perhaps…say…he was pressed for time? Time for what? For the boys to make their return? To beat the coming storm? To avoid fighting the fairies when he did take over? Why would he be in so much of a hurry?

And what's more, Icaran had to know that Skye and the others were in the vicinity of the mining facility. They'd rush to their aid unless…he did say the storm was the _least_ of their problems. Were the boys in more danger than they were? Is that why Icaran didn't calculate them any further into his equations?

The girls would not stay cooped up forever. Eventually they'd find a way out of Icaran's trap and then he'd be in trouble. Mining all that ore would take time he did not have. What's to stop them from overpowering the man and taking back the ship? There's no way he could take them all on. Or why not have Tecna turn all the robots on Icaran? Not like he could stop her. She was the tech wizard aboard this ship.

So many questions and the only way to obtain answers would be to make a deal with the devil.

A low moaning filled the air and Tecna turned to find Stella coming out of her coma. "W-what happened?"

"Stella." Tecna called.

The princess swiveled her head this way and that until it settled on Tecna. "Tecna?"

"Ahem."

Stella looked another way. "You!" she sat up too fast. Bad idea. The grogginess in her head came back and she collapsed onto the floor. "Ow. My head."

"Take it easy, Stella." Tecna turned back to Icaran who moved in closer to them…an ugly smile on his face.

"Time's a'wastin'. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"Deal?" Stella was still sharp enough to catch that. "What is he talking about?"

Tecna ignored her. She had a decision to make and for the good of her friends she'd have to make the right one. No one said the right would be the easy one. "Unfortunately." She lowered her head. "Mister Icaran, we have a deal."

---

Brandon bit his lip in hopes that some feeling would return. It didn't. His entire face had gone numb from exposure to the storm. The sky had turned a shade of black he never even seen before. He could hear the thunderclaps but not see them. He wondered how all this must look from orbit aboard the _Sparx_. The planet's white surface must have been covered in this blanket of darkness. It was scary. To even think about it sent chills down Brandon's spine and chills were one thing you did not need when struggling to stay warm. His heart sank at the sight of the night sky. A darkness, slowly consuming his soul.

He lost his footing.

Skye was there to catch him.

"Whoa! You okay?"

Shaking the weakness from his body, his soul, Brandon supported himself against the wall of the cave. "I'm good," he would liked to have said but unfortunately his lips were too numb and all that came out was gibberish.

"Inside." Skye told him.

The temperature inside the cave was not much warmer but compared to the outside it may as well be a sauna. Brandon removed his hood and goggles and collapsed to the ground. He heard Skye come around him and reach for something that was standing beside their gathered equipment. It was a thermos. He'd made coffee earlier and poured his friend a small cup which he handed to him immediately. Brandon drank it. Not bothering to savor it, some of the beverage seeped down his chin and mouth but he cared not. He could feel his lips again. Now if only Stella were around he'd be able to put them to good use.

"Better?"

"Much." Brandon thanked him. He let Skye take a seat next to him on the rock that was wide enough to sit a couple of people. After another hot cup, Brandon finally had the energy to say more than one or two words. "It's bad, bro. I don't think we're getting out of here."

"The ship?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Damn." Skye uttered. "We have to get Timmy back."

"Dark."

"What?"

"I said it's dark. I've never seen it so bleak before in my life." Brandon looked to where Timmy was huddled inside the sleeping bag. "How's he doing?"

"Fever's gotten worse. I'd give him a couple hours before…" Skye trailed off.

"Before?"

Without looking at him, Skye answered. "We _have_ to get back. No matter what."

Brandon heard the dread in his friend's voice. Timmy may not survive, he realized, should they not get back in time. He would not let that happen. Timmy was one of the best friends Brandon ever had. Despite his scrawny exterior, Timmy was brave and daring when the situation called. He saved Brandon's ass more times than he could remember and Brandon had good memory. No way was he going to let Timmy down. Screw the weather. He was getting to that ship and they were getting off this rock.

Dark.

Brandon shook his head.

Riven returned at just that moment. "So?" Skye asked without even turning in his direction.

"Nothing. Not even a tripwire."

Brandon raised his eyes to where Riven was standing. He was in full climbing gear and looked a bit winded as if returning from an arduous task.

"You sure?"

"I was thorough, Skye."

"What's going on?" Brandon asked.

"Riven went on a little scouting mission. I told him to check the perimeter of the shaft exit and report back on any findings."

"Findings?"

"In other words," Riven stepped up and poured himself a cup of coffee. "To make sure the way is clear for infiltration."

"Infiltration?"

"You got snow in your ears? We're going in."

"We?"

"Riven and I. We're going inside the facility." He stood up. "You'll stay here and keep watch over Timmy. If you manage to get a signal through to the _Sparx_ then all the better but I don't think we should hold our breath. Timmy doesn't have much longer anyway."

"So you two are going to take on the entire facility by yourself? That's crazy!"

"Desperate times." Riven started.

"Desperate measures." Skye finished.

"What good will it do Timmy if you're both dead? We don't even know how many guys you'll be up against."

"Too late to stop now." Riven said. "We're already in too deep."

"Guys listen,"

But Skye cut him off. "Easy, Brandon. We're not going in there to take over the place. But we have to do this. Look," He motioned to Timmy and Brandon's eyes followed. "He's dying. Unless he receives medical attention right away he won't survive. I don't see us making it back to the _Sparx_ anytime soon so we must look for alternatives. There has to be a sickbay inside that place and we're going to find it. When the time comes and we made sure the coast is clear, I'll signal for you to bring Timmy. It's his only hope."

Dark.

Brandon nodded. "Gotcha."

Dark.

He shook his head again.

"You all right?"

"Just groggy I guess."

"Keep your eyes and ears open." Riven ordered. "No telling what else lives in this place that considers Red Fountain students a specialty."

"Thanks, Riv. Now I feel much better."

"We're going to get ready." Skye said. "Keep radio silence. Do not respond until I give you the encoded signal. The same goes for the _Sparx_. We're still in enemy territory here."

"You got it."

"Brandon."

Riven called him. He was kneeling beside Timmy's prone form and was worried from what he could tell. "Look after him."

"Like you have to say."

"Just make sure you stay focused."

"What makes you think I won't?"

Dark.

Riven pointed to Brandon's left hand. The brown-haired youth found the extremity shaking despite the warmth vibrating throughout his body. He reached to silent it with his other hand. It stopped but he still couldn't shake the feeling of dread. Looking up, he saw Riven and Skye looking at him quizidly. Brandon had never been one to shake like that before. It was disturbing. "What do you expect? It's cold." He said with a weak smile. But deep down he didn't think it was that at all.

---

"Alright." Tecna said. "We've managed to get all the fires under control and the droids have sealed up the breech on level six. Ship integrity is holding…and stabilized. Engine output is at fifty percent and we have aft thrusters back on line. Internal sensors are still down but should be up and running in about half an hour. Life support is stable. Lifts two through four are back on line. Lighting has returned to about seventy percent of the vessel. Key systems are in tact and repairs are underway."

"Incredible." Icaran said from behind. He'd been silently watching Tecna work her magic, technical that is, for the past forty-five minutes. In all his life he'd never seen someone work so well and so fast. She was brilliant. Gods if he had back when he had that scuffle with the Vega police force. That detection grid never would have stood a chance. With no disturbances or distractions, Tecna was free to do what she did best and the _Queen Sparx_ was already at half strength. Not bad, Icaran thought, not bad at all.

"You're a cybernetic genius, lass."

"Compliments mean little coming from you, Mister Icaran."

"You tell him, Tec."

Icaran spared the princess of Solaria a look. "You want to be gagged?"

Stella was still tied up in those magic-rendering straps Icaran placed on the fairies when he snuck up on them. She was sitting up with her back against the wall and was watching them from her vantage point. Stella stuck out her tongue in a very childish manner at the pirate. He found it to be rather…cute.

Icaran had allowed Tecna the freedom to use her hands while she brought the ship back from the brink, but took precautions. Her legs were still bound, of course, and while she still had her wings they would do her little good. One of the man's nifty little gadgets was a choker he acquired during a previous transaction. It was used by cabal of powerful tyrants who used magic-users for slave labor. This device allowed them to control the output from their servants, preventing them from rebelling or turning on their masters. With it, Icaran could suppress all of Tecna's magical abilities with one button and render her unconscious the next. If she did anything he didn't like…

He kept the activation device next to him at all times.

Tecna was allowed some magic which she used to interface with the computer. It allowed her to actually feel what the ship was feeling and send orders to robots for all the places that needed immediate attention. Between the two, their vessel was well on its way to recovery. Still, it would take a long time before she'd be strong enough to dare the asteroid field again.

Swiveling around in her chair, Tecna crossed her arms beneath her perky breasts. "Well then, I've kept my end of the deal. Now how's about keeping yours?"

"I still don't have my oblivium."

"And you won't for a good while. So while we wait, what say you tell me a story?"

"Kind of old for fairy tales, aren't you?"

"I wasn't talking about that kind of story."

"Oh." Icaran smirked. "Well then that's different. Where do I begin? Ah. So when we got to her place, I threw her on the bed and proceeded to remove her clothes one layer at a time. I could tell this was her first but she was a sporty little thing and more than adventurous when it came to,"

"Mister Icaran!" Tecna snapped. "Stop being a perverted dipshit and tell me what I want to know."

Behind Icaran, Stella winced. She wasn't used to hearing Tecna talk this way.

"The facility if you please."

"She was very bossy too, just to let you know. Anyway…" Icaran spaced his chair away from Tecna just to reassert his control of the situation by placing the control device for her collar in plain view. It also kept it a safe distance from her. "I used to work for some pretty shady characters back in the day. They have their hands in almost every underhanded business you can imagine. Slave trade, drug cartels, political corruption, you name it, they had a finger in it. They also made a profit off of arms sales. Half the syndicates, warlords, and dictatorships in the sector had purchased their tools of the trade through my benefactors. Smart bastards, they were, selling to both sides of the conflict to make double the profit,"

"The facility." Tecna pressed. She had no desire to learn the intricacies of the criminal underworld.

"I was getting to that." Icaran said and was rather annoyed at the disturbance. "I'm sure your friend Riven has enlightened you on the potential devastating effects of oblivium. During the Numibian War, my benefactors had a hand in the selling of the ore to the factions of that unfortunate planet. They made billions while billions died. Heartless scum."

Tecna's eyes narrowed.

"Hold on now. That was way before I was employed so don't get all judgmental on me. Besides, I just take the stuff from point A to point B. I get paid and I don't ask questions. Man's gotta eat. Now some time ago, as I told your friend, a close colleague of mine tried to allude the authorities by jumping into this nebula. Almost got killed in the process but managed to eek his way over to this here planet. It was by sheer accident he happened to find the richest deposit of oblivium ore within a ten thousand light years. The man could have made a fortune selling this stuff but first he needed to escape. Took the bastard twenty long years before he finally managed to rebuild his ship and break free of the nebula. He brought with him several stellograms of the ore upon his return and financed an expedition to go back. When he established the mining facility on the planet and began pumping out the ore, he became rich beyond his wildest dreams. Never saw much of him after that. The few times I dropped by on his place he was usually behind closed doors. He forged contacts with my group and I was charged with delivering the ore from one place or the other. I was making a new shipment run when I ran into you people."

"How did you get stranded?"

The smile on the man's face seemed forced but he complied her. "Let's just say the miners and I had a disagreement."

"What kind of disagreement?"

"They tried to kill me."

"Why?" Tecna tilted her head to one side. She was about to ask a question that she was sure he wouldn't answer honestly. "Did you try to steal something from them?"

"Can't steal from men who've lost their minds, love. I came to do business and they attacked me. I defended myself and got the hell out of there as fast as I could. Didn't make it without a few bumps and bruises, though. Had it not been for you I doubt I would have made it another two days."

"But what did you do to provoke them?"

"I was there."

"You mean they attacked you for no reason? That hardly seems plausible."

"Not when you're mad."

"Mad?"

Icaran sighed. "Look, lass, and listen both of you." He turned slightly to Stella. "I received no message from the main tower so I figured something had gone awry…"

---

The specialists moved liked shadows in the dark. Their training served them well but it was Riven who truly shined. His years living as a thief on the streets had honed his stealth skills to astonishing levels. While Prince Skye was silent as a whisper, Riven was a ghost. One moment he was there and the next he was gone. It's like he materialized from out of the shadows only to sink into them again. Skye was impressed with his friend's natural abilities and wondered if he'd not become a student at Red Fountain whether Riven would be working for people like Mister Icaran. The thought troubled him as the two seemed to have a great deal in common, but he believed that Riven was a completely different person. Sure he could have become a criminal but decided to be a hero instead. That showed Riven's true character.

But then again, Riven did succumb to the dark side once before. What's to say he'd yet to conquer all his demons?

Now's not the time.

Riven had taken point—remaining a few steps ahead of Skye. They moved in unison, using only hand signals to communicate. Their night-vision goggles allowed them the ability to see in the dark. The prince had to admit they looked rather ludicrous moving about the way they did within the artificial light, but the moment either of them removed those goggles it would be like waking up into a pit. Besides, the stealth was not to avoid being seen; there was for too little light for that. Rather it was to keep from making noise. At Red Fountain, the boys had learned that sound was often the first alert to danger, a sense that was ridiculously ignored. When sneaking about it was sound that was one's greatest foe, not sight. An assassin or thief could hide in plain daylight if he could avoid alerting his target's ears before making the strike.

So they proceeded from one dark corner of the cave to the next. Having long since left the safety of the vertical shaft in which they had their first encounter with the giant subterranean worm, the chamber they entered had been naturally constructed. The walls widened up until the ceiling extended beyond their vision. Well that's not true. They could still see stalactites leering down at them menacingly from above. They were huge, some the size of a small building.

Riven seemed more on edge the further they went. As a thief, he was more accustomed to tight corridors where there were many places to hide. Being caught out in the open, he was taught, was paramount to death. The tables now turned as Prince Skye, being more used to the wide expanses and forests of his homeland; fell into the driver's seat. He led the way this time, though still kept in contact using hand-speech.

Once several yards into the interior, the boys paused when they heard the gasping of wind. Prince Skye stopped and turned to Riven to silently ask, _Another cave?_

_No. The temperature remains the same. I think it's machinery._ Riven signaled back.

They proceeded with caution until their path ended, literally. A wide expanse spread out before them. The ocean of darkness was intimidating but it was the sounds that held their full attention. It didn't take them long to narrow in on the noise which was coming from somewhere beneath them. It was faint but their sharp ears managed to pick it up. Skye had honed his senses while hunting wild dragons while Riven's attuned ears were harnessed while hiding from authority forces back home. They stood silent and listened…eventually the wind took on a different noise. Riven was right. It was machinery, though very, very far down.

_Psss._ Riven silently said. The comment was made by rubbing his thumb over his fingers in a scratching motion. This was meant to get someone's attention. He motioned to something below them—a building constructed out of the side of the cavern's wall. Using their goggles, the boys zoomed in on the construct. It was at least three stories tall and two-sided. The whole thing was built right out of the rock; forgoing the need for support beams altogether. It was shaped like the corner of a box, the two sides perfectly edged until running into the rock face. Beside the boxed building appeared to be a lift of some sort. It was a round, tube-shaped construct that disappeared in the descent. A small, square-shaped platform jutted out from the other side of the building. To their bemusement, a long metallic bridge extended from the platform and into the darkness.

"Where do you suppose that leads?" Skye said breaking their silent-speech.

Riven didn't seem to mind, though. The cave walls were far too away for their voices to carry.

"Don't know. Give me the scope."

Skye reached into his bag and pulled out a thin device which he then handed to Riven. The youth took the scope and removed his goggles. Darkness converged on him from all places. He lifted the scope to his right eye and peered down at the building. The scope allowed him a much closer view of it than his goggles ever could. He zoomed in all the way, scanning the building for any signs of life. He found none. "Doesn't look like anyone's home." He told Skye. There were no windows from what Riven could see. Not like there was much to look at in the first place. Then he zoomed in on the lift. To his surprise, the thing looked like it had been used recently. "Scratch that."

"What?"

"The lift. It's been used not too long ago. The door's still open."

"That means that whoever used it must still be inside."

"Too bad there aren't any windows. I can't tell how many people are inside."

"What about the bridge?"

Riven turned the scope along the bridge. It was wide enough for five men to walk across it side by side. There seemed to be some sort of tram that would carry passengers from one end to the other. Riven followed it until he saw it. He whistled.

"What?"

"That's nice."

"What?!"

Riven held the scope in place and motioned for Skye to have a look. Only then did he understand Riven's observation. It was the largest stalactite he had ever seen. Quite possibly the size of the _Sparx_ herself, the giant hanging thorn extended to the very top of the cavern ceiling. It was a city hanging from the air, complete with balconies, walkways and many, many windows. The bridge connected this marvel with the lackluster building on the wall and Skye guessed it was used as a sort of tram to take people back and forth between the two. "Incredible."

"Some operation huh?"

"You said it."

"So which one do we go to?" Riven asked.

"Closest one is our best bet. I'm guessing that the miners live in that stalactite city while they use the stone building to travel to the mines below. If miners get hurt or anything, I'm pretty sure the construct would be equipped with a medical ward."

"Good analysis. But we still need to get down there, Skye."

Skye put the scope away and rummaged through his pack again; removing a series of grapples. "Looks like we're climbing."

---

"When I landed in the docking port, there was no one there to greet me." Icaran continued his story. "Fortunately the entire thing is automated so the main computer recognized my code and allowed me entry. Still, it was strange not having anyone around to welcome dear old Icaran. I left my ship and started calling names, but nobody answered. Most of the ships were still in their cells. Only those like mine, cargo vessels, were lined up ready for takeoff. I figured there was a large shipment going out and the pilots went down to the pubs to enjoy themselves before the miners came up with the refined ore. So I decided to join them. I made sure to punch in my ship's name, captain and classification number before heading inside the main hub. There's a single elevator that leads down to the recreational area known as the Suite. I went in, eager to quench my thirst, play some games, and spend some time with the lovelier damsels that frequent the Suite."

He rubbed his forehead, the memories slowly coming back to him. "I should have turned back. There was a nagging feeling in the back of my neck but I dismissed it as a bug bite. It was in fact my sixth sense warning me the shit hit the fan. I didn't listen to it, it was tired, thirsty and horny. I wanted to have fun. It wasn't until the elevator doors swung shut that I began to regret my decision…"

---

Skye and Riven had no problem scaling the wall with no wind to hinder their progress. There were plenty of footholds too, so their progress was quite speedy. Once they'd reached the top of the construct, the specialists unbuckled their harnesses and slowly crept along the roof. Stone had a habit of echoing footsteps so they got on their stomachs and crawled toward the edge.

Their target was the side with the elevator as the platform was just too exposed. They peered over the edge of the roof and found no cameras, guards, or traps of any kind. This made them uneasy.

Riven noticed that only one lamp provided any light between the elevator and the main door. The lamp was dim and pieces of glass were on the bottom. Riven took this as a bad sign. He'd been on similar stakeouts back home and knew that operations like this had to run smoothly else anything goes wrong could bring it down in an instant. The fact that the elevator door was open, the lamp was broken, the others off and there no guards watching the door signaled that something was very wrong.

Still, he came here to do a job. Timmy's life depended on it. Turning to Skye, he signaled, _me first_. The prince agreed and removed a small firearm from his back. The projectiles were non-lethal but still packed quite a punch. It may seem strange to walk into a potentially hazardous situation with sleeper and concussion rounds, but specialists were not soldiers. Their way was to protect and save, not main and kill. Besides, any specialist worth half his salt was more dangerous with a sword or lance than he was with a gun any day.

Riven carefully made his way over the edge and began to climb down using hand gloves that allowed him to stick to the wall. Skye waited above; ready to shoot the first thing that might hinder their mission's outcome.

---

"The lights were out when the doors opened. Many more were flickering. Several chairs and tables were turned over and there was glass all over the floor. I took out my pistol and readied myself for anything. I knew it would be better if I just turned and left but my ship needed refueling and my bosses would be none too pleased if I came back empty-handed. So I went on, hoping that somebody would be around to tell me what was going on. After several minutes of searching the halls, I came across the Suite. It looked like hell had opened up. The place was a mess. The furniture was torn up and dashed along the ground. The gambling machines and gaming tables were destroyed. A small fire blazed in the kitchen and one of the back windows was blown wide open. I waved my gun around and backed away slowly. It was then that I heard a noise coming from my right…"

---

Riven reached the bottom without any hassle and put his back against the wall. The thief knew that to avoid being surrounded he'd have to keep his back secured at all times. With a signal to Skye who had him covered, Riven made his way to the door.

It was a massive, two-door, steeled entrance with tracks leading to the elevator. He saw what appeared to be the remains of a camera dangling over the entryway. Now on full alert, Riven motioned to Skye that they might have a problem. He waited until the prince had joined him by the side of the door before speaking. "There's trouble. Something went down here not too long ago."

"We need to get in there."

"Unless you've got winx or a some kind of key, I don't see any way we're getting in through that door."

Skye thought a moment. "Then we'd better head over to the other side. Maybe there's a way through on that platform."

Riven did not fancy the idea of crawling along that roof again like some kind of worm, but his ego was less of an issue than Timmy's health so…

The door began to open. A terrible screeching sound as if it pained it to do so.

The boys leaped back, weapons at the ready.

---

"Her name was Jessica. She'd worked one of the tables and was the best damned dealer I ever met. I went over to the table, _her_ table and tried to help her, but the damn thing was too heavy and her ribs were crushed. I could tell she didn't have enough time. Half her face was covered in blood and she breathed through rasps. I reached down to touch her, to give some comfort before the end, but she bit me. The little bitch bit me! I was angry at first but then I noticed the ravenous look in her eyes. She turned wild, her face twisted in rage and anguish. She squirmed beneath the table which only hurt her already broken ribs even more. Jessica could no more speak than a troll and before I put a bullet through her head she spat at me with her bloodied mouth………….I put the girl out of her misery but then I heard something else. The sound of numerous footsteps approaching the Suite."

---

Skye and Riven readied themselves for battle. The doors came to a sudden halt and all there was silence.

"Well, least we don't have to go around again." Riven said.

Skye cautiously moved in but kept his gun at the ready. Beside him came Riven with a baton and knife. He always did prefer close-quarter combat. "Stay alert." Skye said. "We have to move else and do…" Skye was cut off by a voice.

"D-Demon." Came the voice. The specialists watched as a bloodied man wearing what remained of a miner's uniform slowly creep out of the darkness. Half his body was bloody and he wielded a heavy wrench, also bloody, in one hand. His hair was all but gone and his skin was ghostly white. His eyes looked mad and did not blink once. They were bloodshot and bled slightly on the side. As he closed the distance between them the miner raised the wrench his over his head. He bared his teeth in a maniacal smile as he said, "Kill the demons!"

"Skye!" Riven cried as he was the madman's first target. "Shoot!"

The prince wasn't one to hesitate but something in the man's crazed demeanor prevented him from shooting. The man was lost to his rage, incapable of being reasoned with. He'd heard of such people, but never did he imagine he'd face one.

"Kill demons!" the miner lurched forward and moved in for the kill.

"Skye!"

"Shit." His inhibitions gone, Skye fired…

---

**Sorry for the long wait but October is the month from hell. It's the busiest time for school and here I thought that vampires and ghosts were the scariest things. This is not how I wanted the chapter to turn out. I actually wanted the whole crew to be on the planet but it did not turn out that way. I hope this chapter can hold you guys over until the next one. I'm working on other fanfics as well and want to develop those stories a bit more. So here's hoping you enjoyed this chapter. Hope it was a bit spooky. **

**I like to thank all my reviewers. I promise to give some shoutouts in the following chapter of White.**

**Happy Halloween, everyone!**


	18. Chapter 18

**The last straw…**

---

Skye stepped towards the fallen body. The round was lodged deep in the man's pasty-skinned neck and still quivered from the shock of the impact. His body twitched momentarily before going still. A rasp breath escaped his dry lips and for a moment the prince thought he might be dead, but then his chest went up and then down, signifying that he was unconscious but still alive.

"Why the hell did you take so long?" Riven had waited for Skye to take the shot but he had hesitated. The deranged man was almost on top of him before Skye finally pulled the trigger. Not a moment later, Riven sprang into action, ceasing his attack just when he saw the round pierce the man's neck and watched him go down. Had Skye not carried out the shot, Riven would have been all over the guy, but not before he was mere inches from Skye's face. The heavy wrench the man wielded would have surely crushed the youth's head had not Riven planned to slice them off mid-swing. He was shocked to see the man's face turn from one of pure horror to that of shock as he dropped the wrench, clasped his neck, and fell down to the ground. He did stumble a bit, and landed a few feet from where the prince stood.

It all happened so fast.

"Skye, wake up!"

Skye looked at Riven, as if seeing him for the first time. "What?"

"You hesitated. Why?"

Skye had to ask himself that same question. His training at Red Fountain taught him to react first and think later. In battle, a split second could be enough to win the fight or lose your life and Skye had survived because he always let his sword guide him. Perhaps that was the reason for his indecision; he was not wielding his sword. He used a gun. A very un-hero weapon. Without realizing it, he holstered the gun in disgust and placed his palm on the hilt of his sword. Suddenly, he was thinking clearly again.

"I'm not used to guns." The prince flatly stated and began inspecting the body.

"Then next time whack him with the flat of your sword, but don't just stand there like some stupid freshman thinking, 'duh…do I shoot now, or don't I?'"

Ignoring Riven, which had become easy, Skye foraged through the rags the miner's uniform; checking his pockets, he pulled out a wallet which held his identification card. "Says here his name is Manny." Skye told Riven. "He's a loader, responsible for taking the refined ore between the mine and space port." After checking his wallet again, Skye found a picture of a woman and a little girl. "He has a family too. From the looks of that living room it appears Manny is doing pretty well for himself."

"See if you can find anything useful." Riven had decided to have a look around. To their right sat a lift, seemingly out of power which was unfortunate given that it was a good bet that the medical facility would be somewhere upstairs. To the left was a parking space; three mine carts, two overturned and the remaining in need of a set of wheels, stood next to a series of boxes piled three high. One of the boxes was broken on one end; metal tools sprawled out on the ground. The floor stretched deeper into the building with cargo lined up all the way to the back. There was a ramp leading to another set of double doors. Above them was as series of walkways with ladders. One walkway had broken off from the main body and lay cracked on the floor. The metal was twisted and there as blood along the edges.

Scanning the area with a flashlight he pulled from his belt, Riven explored the interior. His sharp senses picked up no sound or signs of danger. He continued to explore and found several scorch marks on the floor. Examining them, Riven knew the handiwork of a blowtorch when he saw one. But it was the other marks that startled him. Gun fire. Riven had seen enough shootings in his life to recognize the tell-tale signs. _Great,_ he thought. It wasn't bad enough they were stranded on a hostile world with no way of returning to their severely damaged ship, but now they may have to face a mob of blood-crazed miners armed with automatic weapons.

"Riven." Skye called from behind. He hadn't noticed how far Riven had strayed from him until now. "Get back here."

"Someone has a gun."

Skye inhaled at that proclamation.

"And they ain't using knock-out rounds." Riven stood up – trusting Skye to watch his back, he walked backwards keeping the entire warehouse in his line of sight. "So how's our family man doing?" He casually asked.

"He'll be out for an hour at least. Plenty of time to scout out the rest of this place."

"They have guns."

"Who's they? There's only Manny here."

"Maybe he has friends." Riven turned to Skye and looked down at Manny. "So how about it, Manny? Any of your boys packing heat?"

Obviously, Manny did not answer. He continued to breath softly.

"Armed or not, we have to find something that can help Timmy. Just stay alert and keep quiet."

"You're the one firing off the loudest piece of weaponry outside a cannon. You be quiet."

Removing his sword from his scabbard, Prince Skye lay a stern look at his companion. "Tie him up and put him someplace out of the way."

"Good idea. He might not look too kindly on you for shooting him. I know I'd be pissed." As Riven dragged Manny's body to a nearby pole for tying, Skye looked out at the warehouse. Somewhere in this construct lay the means to save Timmy and they were going to find it.

---

"Zombies?" Stella asked incredulously. "You were attacked by zombies?"

Icaran shook his head. "Ain't no zombies that attacked me, love. It was something else."

Tecna, who was struggling to take this man seriously, motioned for Stella to remain quiet. "Then what was it, Mister Icaran?"

"Bunch of folks who had one too many? You got me. Though I'd never seen the like in all my years."

"A ravenous mob?" Tecna asked.

"Lost their damned mind is more like it. These were so bat-shit crazy they couldn't even speak right enough, but they did know how to fight, and they came at me with everything they had." Icaran remembered the battle, his desperate attempt to escape. Though he had to try to make it sound like anything but, else the girls think him a wimp. "I fought them tooth and nail, blew away half before they got to me. Then I took out my blade and began hacking and slashing. Was covered in blood by the time they were all dead. I didn't want to wait in case any more came through so I high tailed it out of there. Bumped into a couple more right outside the elevator. After firing off my last two rounds I was forced to take the last one hand-to-hand." Smirking, Icaran looked at Stella and held up his hands. "Snapped his neck." They made a snapping gesture. "Just like that."

The princess shivered in disgust.

"What then?" Tecna wanted to hear the whole story.

"Well then I went back up, was about to flee…ahem, I mean, make way to my ship when a thought occurred to me. They always keep a supply of oblivium ore in the storehouses for pickup by the couriers, namely, me. So I got to thinking why not? Since I doubt anyone would mind, they have bigger things to worry about, mind you, so I helped myself to the latest stack. Unfortunately, some of the boys did take offense to my acquiring and I was forced to leave in a hurry. I used my shotgun to fend off the rest. Once on board, I took off like the Devil was on my ass. I was well on my way to heaven when a sudden jolt rocked my ship. Apparently, one of those assholes still remembered how to use a rocket and got in a lucky shot. I was able to break orbit and clear the nebula, then,"

"Wait a minute." Stella uproared. "You mean to tell us you know of an easier way to get out of here? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because, wench, knowing secret routes has nothing to do with it. This ship has a big ass, it's not meant to dance between the tight spaces of an asteroid field. She's a cruise ship, not a skimmer, like my vessel is. Small ships like mine are able to move through quite easily though it took me a bit of time thanks to the loss of one of my engines. You want to know the most shit-faced part in all this?" Icaran did not hold back a smile. It was ironic really. "Here I was, having escaped a potentially death-dealing situation with a cargo-full of refined oblivium ore that I could sell off and make myself a fortune, and instead up stuck out in the middle of space with no hyperdrive, dwindling supplies and low oxygen. Fate has a way of f'ing with ya, don't it?"

"Indeed it does." _You have no idea._ "So if it hadn't been for us, you would have died out there all alone."

"That's Fate." Icaran chuckled.

"That it is." Tecna agreed. She took one look at the computer console. "So…tell us about your benefactors, Mister Icaran."

"I believe I told you all I agreed to tell you, fairy." Icaran said. "Our deal was for information concerning the facility and my obtaining the oblivium. Now it's your turn to hold up your end. How are the repairs coming?"

She checked the console. "Very well. We should be ready to take on that asteroid belt again within the next two hours."

"Good." Icaran said. "Have a shuttle prepped and ready. We're going on a little trip."

"You mean you're not taking in the whole ship?" Stella asked.

At that, Icaran sighed. "Haven't you been paying any attention? This ship is too big. It can never maneuver through that storm. Besides, the landing bay is not equipped to handle a ship this size. Only a shuttle will do."

Stella pouted. "Don't need to get all snippy."

"He's right, Tecna. Icaran and I will go down to the surface while,"

"We're all going."

"What?" The fairies asked in unison.

"The smart girl and I alone cannot hope to load all that oblivium by ourselves. There ain't enough time. Time to put those friends of yours to good use."

"And what makes you think they'll comply willingly?" Tecna asked.

"Trust me, they won't be much of a threat. I have a friend who's seen to that."

"What…what did you do?"

"They're in no real danger, lass. A bit drained maybe but not dead. Here, let me show you." Icaran drove over to the console where he had command of the ship's primary codes. He typed in a series of commands and up on a small screen appeared the medical bay. The fairies were there, Bloom, Flora, Musa, and Layla…and Helia? He was awake!

"Helia!" Tecna exclaimed.

"Our girls! They're okay."

"What?" Icaran's face grew angry. "The hell they're, hold on." He scanned the room. The prisoners seemed to be waiting around for something to happen – impatience apparent on all of their faces. One of them, the boy, was looking through the room's compartments for something. He turned and said something to the red-headed fairy though they were unable to hear because there was no sound. The girl shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the door. Two of the fairies were having a heated discussion over to one side while the last, the darkest one, paced back and forth, stopping now and then to tap her foot on the floor. "The hell is going on?!"

"What did you expect to happen?" Tecna asked while eyeing the screen. Her friends seemed to be okay. Icaran would have plenty of hands to help with his hoarding of the ore but that did not seem to please him at all. It did, however, please Tecna. She and Stella may be magically drained thanks to the collars he had placed on them but the others still had their winx. They'd be able to put up a fight at least. And those collars would be useless on Helia. The tables were beginning to turn.

But who was this "friend" he had mentioned? And where was he now? If Icaran had an ally on board then that complicated matters greatly. She had to find a way to free them.

"Something wrong, Mister Icaran." Tecna did not hide the amusement at this turn of events in her voice.

"Stay here." Icaran swung his chair around and made toward the far end of the bridge where he huddled over his chair. "And don't think of trying anything stupid." He barked suddenly, raising the device that activated the collars. "Or else!"

"Yeah, yeah." Stella said before turning back to Tecna and mouthing, "What's the plan?"

"I'm working on it," Tecna mouthed back and returned to the console. It was a long shot but she'd been planning this since making the deal with Icaran. With a deep breath, the girl pressed a button and hoped for the best.

---

"I think we've just been had." Layla spoke aloud but it was directed at the sealed doors as if they had something to do with their misfortune. "Serves us right for trusting a flying, black…thing."

All in the room turned to regard the angry princess was starting to fume to the point where her shoulders and wings were beginning to shake. Musa, who was almost as snippy as Stella when it came to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, almost made a remark about Layla's last comment about "a flying black thing" seeing as how she was exotically dark and had a pair of wings but wisely held her tongue. If not Layla than she'd be the one venting and if not her then Bloom, or Flora, or Stella and Tecna were they here. This entire room was a powder keg just waiting to explode.

"I sensed nothing dishonest about its intentions," Helia said.

"Look, Helia, no offense," Bloom began, "but you just woke up from a serious injury. Maybe you only thought you heard the creature say what you thought it said."

"Look who's talking." Flora jumped to Helia's defense. "You were almost as injured as Helia was, Bloom. How can we be sure you're thinking clearly?"

Bloom turned to Flora. "I'm just saying…" She paused. "You're right, I'm sorry. Helia, I'm sorry too. The last thing we need now is for us to start questioning each other's sanity."

"Well that's good because I'm on my last nerves." Layla's footsteps came as heavy stomps as she made her way back toward the group. "Pretty soon questioning is the only thing I'm going to have left. Who set us up? Where the hell is Tecna? Why did we come on this trip in the first place?"

"I can answer those for you…" Musa wanted to say but Flora got up at that point and went to Helia's side. "Found anything?" she asked knowing he'd been looking for something to eat.

Several drawers were open due to Helia's search and while he found something resembling field rations there was nothing truly edible in the entire room. Apparently, food in the sickbay was not a priority when they outfitted the _Sparx_ for her voyage. A major oversight on their part and one he'd take up with Skye if he ever saw him again.

"Hope we don't have to revert to cannibalism." Musa said and everyone sent horrified looks her way. She raised her hands in apology. "I-I'm sure it won't come to that. I mean there hasn't been a trap yet we couldn't escape from before has there?"

"There hasn't been a problem we couldn't overcome with our winx before too." Bloom touched her chin, thinking. "There's got to be some spell that will help us."

"Those doors are warded off against magic." Helia said, remembering the design of the ship. "Just in case any warlocks or witches ever tried to board the ship."

"Guess you never thought you'd be trapped inside?" Layla asked.

Helia blushed.

"Figures." The princess of Tides sat down on a bio bed.

Suddenly, Musa heard a noise. "What was that?"

Helia blushed again. "Probably my stomach."

"Shh." The fairy said and moved to touch the sealed doors. Vibrations are as much a part of sound as music and what Musa felt slowly reached her ears. She placed one on the doors and listened in. "There's something on the other side."

"Do you think,"

"Shh." Musa said again, cutting Helia off.

A fraction of a second later, the doors flashed open, spilling the fairy out onto the hallway. She "yipped!" and came crashing down, her nose making contact with the metal surface. The other girls, plus Helia, rushed to the now opened doors and Bloom and Layla helped Musa to her feet. "You okay?" Bloom asked.

"Ow." Musa was rubbing her flattened nose. "Crap."

Flora was taking a look around. "How'd we get out?"

"Tecna?" Helia said.

"Where?" Layla scanned the hall.

"No, I mean maybe she,"

The shadow-thing loomed before them. One moment the way was clear, the next a pitch-black mass enveloped their point of view. Layla and Bloom cried out, dropping Musa who they'd been holding to the ground this time on her butt. Flora clung to Helia's arm while the specialist held up his arm defensively. But the creature made no hostile movements and simply stood…hovered before them.

"I knew you hadn't abandoned us." Helia said once he'd regained himself. "See? I told you he was one of the good guys."

"Little help." Musa pleaded from the ground.

Once everyone was back on their feet and secure in their safety, Bloom turned to regard her team. "All right, girls. And Helia. Let's head for the bridge and find out what's going on." She tried to take off, only to come back to her feet. "Ugh. My winx is so weak. This guy drained too much of my energy." She looked back at the shadow with a slight scoff.

"So I guess charging in would be out of the question?" Layla asked.

"We could try sneaking." Flora suggested. "The quieter we are the less chance we have of being spotted."

"What about him?" Musa pointed to the shadow-thing.

"He can come with us."

"I don't like that idea, Flo."

"But he helped us."

"Bloom, help me out here."

"I," Bloom looked to Layla. "What do you think?"

"Girl, you don't wanna know what I think."

"Helia?"

"I'll go with whatever the group decides."

Bloom shrugged her head. "Sometimes democracy just doesn't work. All right, fine. Follow me. We're taking back the bridge one way or the other. Helia, why don't you and Flora hang back with our new friend while the rest of us take point. The nearest ladder shaft isn't far from here. Just remember to keep the noise to a minimum as we get up there."

"Fine by me."

"Let's go."

"Let's get this over with."

"I'm good with that."

"Bloom?"

"What is it, Helia?"

"I'm kind of hungry. You mind we stop by the mess hall first?"

She sighed. "Later, Helia. Right now let's go take back our ship.

---

Brandon hated not have someone to talk to. Even Riven would be a welcomed distraction from all this silence. It was just he and Timmy in the cavern and his friend's condition had not improved. He found himself wishing every second that they would come back with medicine and perhaps even a spare ship so they could get off this damned rock.

Timmy stirred in his sleeping bed.

"How you holding up, Timmy?" As if he would get an answer. The best he could hope for was the occasional "uhh" at the mention of his name but other than that, Timmy was as good as dead to the world. "Hang in there, buddy."

Something shook the cavern and for a moment Brandon feared that of all things an earthquake decided to rattle occur while they were trapped inside this mountain. There was a loud cracking sound followed by a resounding boom that nearly deafened the specialist. Several rocks and even a few small stalactites fell from the ceiling and Brandon had to move as one of the later nearly impaled him where he'd been sitting. "Timmy!" He cried as another landed dangerously close to where his friend lay dormant. Brandon grabbed Timmy and pulled him toward the nearest rock pillar. It proved to be the right move and no more rocks fell anywhere near them.

"The hell was that?" he asked once the shaking had stopped.

"Uhh." Timmy said.

"You said it." Brandon could not believe he would be telling jokes at a time like this but you had to stick with your strengths. He was the joker. His job was to make you laugh whether you wanted to or not. Who's to say he couldn't enjoy a good laugh now and then as well?

"That sounded like it came over there." Brandon looked down the darkened cavern expanse. "I'm gonna go check it out. You stay here and hold the fort, kay Tim?" He patted Timmy on the shoulder. "I'll be back, bro. Hang tough." With that, Brandon left for what he perceived to be the origin of the sound.

Half expecting to find a huge monster with a knack for making the world shake, Brandon wished now more than ever that his friends were here. But he had to make sure Timmy would not be threatened and he had to secure their camp so he trudged on, broadsword in one hand, flashlight in the other. What he found was not what he expected. And that was a good thing…

"That's," He didn't finish that sentence as he nearly whooped with joy. A pod from the _Sparx_ lay barreled several inches into the solid rock. It had bore a whole through a thin layer of the mountain using diamond-laced laser cutters leaving a hole in the ceiling. Snow and cold fell through the hole but Brandon did not care. This was from the ship. From their friends! He rushed to the pod and began to look it over. It was too small to be an escape pod but just big enough to transfer rations, medical supplies – even a message!

"Hell yeah!" Brandon leaped towards the pod when he cried out in pain. The damn thing was burning hot. Well no shit! It did plunge through the atmosphere did it not? What an idiot, he thought. He did the smart thing and waited until it cooled which was accelerated thanks to the hole in the ceiling. Once it had cooled, Brandon touched gently to make sure, he popped open the lid and looked inside to find…nothing.

Disappointment kicking in, Brandon searched and searched. Still nothing.

Then he remembered to check the small compartment inside the pod. Something was waiting for him there…a small pad containing a message within. Pulling out the pad, Brandon signed in using the code Skye had programmed into the ship's computer mainframe. The code had been accepted and the message came through. It was all in text.

FROM TECNA. SHIP COMPROMISED. PRISONER ESCAPED. BRIDGE OCCUPIED. NEED HELP. SHIP OPERATING AT HALF CAPACITY. REQUIRE AID ASAP. LOST CONTACT SO SENT DRONE. RETURN FAST. END OF MESSAGE.

"Dammit!" Brandon yelled. Without thinking he rushed back to the camp. Timmy was still near the pillar dreaming his troubled dreams and neither Skye nor Riven had returned. "Where the hell are you guys? Of all the…" Something powerful shook the cavern and this time it wasn't another incoming pod. There was a loud boom followed by another within a five second interval. It was too rhythmic to be anything natural and too powerful to be anything smaller than a transport craft. Fearing the worse, Brandon dared to venture towards the cave exit.

The storm was still raging but he didn't need superhuman vision to see what was going on. Somewhere from above him, a bright light appeared with each boom and he could feel the entire mountain shake. It was as if someone was firing a gun. A very BIG gun. But there was nothing to shoot at…except.

---

Just moments before the first blast hit, the shadow-thing began to act funny. It cringed and let out a high-pitched squeal in the middle of the darkened corridor which the group had been traveling through.

"What is it?" Helia asked through he had to cover his ears from the terrible pitch the creature made.

"Shut him up!" Layla cried but Helia could not hear him. No one could hear anybody.

The shadow flew over them so fast that they were nearly blown to their feet. It stopped just in front of Bloom and the fairy moved her body away from the distressed thing. It then began to wriggle its elongated body, slamming into walls, leaving dents, and destroying one of the few working lights in the hall.

"What's wrong with you?" Bloom said but it was too far gone to notice. Then as soon as it screeched one more time, the creature dashed down the corridor and disappeared to one side.

The group watched after it before turning to Helia for the explanation. "Don't look at me. It's not like he said, 'okay, Helia, I'm going to freak out now. Please warn your friends."

"It's like he was scared of something." Flora said.

"That thing bounced." Musa wriggled her ears, trying to pop them. Everything sounded distant to her right now. "For a second there I thought it was going to attack us again."

"Something's up you guys," Bloom said. "We need to figure out what before anything worse happens."

Worse just slammed into the ship, knocking all off their feet. The _Sparx_ groaned from the hit and began to buckle.

"What was that?" Layla cried.

"We need to move…now!" Bloom yelled. She began hating herself for ever saying her previous words. Something _always_ goes wrong when the word "worse" is put into the sentence. "Follow me!"

The teenagers complied. They just made it to a shaft when the ship shook again. A terrible groaning filled the air. It was as if the _Sparx_ was crying out in pain. Her structure began to break and numerous breaches tore holes in her once marvelous hole. Musa, having the sharpest ears, could hear oxygen venting out of the ship and several warning klaxons began to sound the toll of the great ship's final moments.

Flora screamed. "We're going to die here!" She felt Helia grab her arm and pull her toward him. If they did not make it out of this at least she could die with the man she loved. Truly loved. She did not recall she ever told him how much he meant to her. Life truly is short.

"Back to sickbay!" Bloom ordered.

"What? Are you crazy?" Layla struggled to her feet but was knocked down again.

"It's the safest place on this level. Our magic is too weak and we can't hope to climb this shaft in our condition. We need to get to safety."

"What about the hangar? We can take a ship and,"

"Too far." Helia told Layla. "We'll never make it."

"Escape pods." Musa optioned. "I remember seeing some earlier. Come on, this way!"

No one bothered to question her for the ship was falling apart around them. Each rushed as fast as their wobbly legs could carry them. A fire broke out to their left. Two light burst into flame above their heads. One hull began to buckle and began to suck air through it. A breach happened somewhere behind them, slowing their progress until an emergency door clamped shut.

"Here!" Musa yelled over the incredible noise. She just arrived at pair of escape pods while another blast rocked the ship. This one took out gravity and everyone was up in the air. "Get in!" She cried. Opening the hatch, she motioned for her friends to enter.

"We can't leave Stella and Tecna." Bloom said.

"She's right." Flora said but then practically every hall around them bent inward and blocked all points of return. "No!"

"There isn't time." Helia shoved Flora into the nearest pod. "We have to leave."

"Stella…Tecna…" Tears welled in Bloom's eyes.

"Bloom!" Helia grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. "Come on." He motioned for Layla and Musa to follow and once they did he jumped in and shut the hatch. Hitting the emergency button, there was a lurch as the ship unclamped itself from the vessel and then trembled as it shot out of the chute. Space filled the tiny window above their heads and then white as the planet loomed into view. Moments later, the small pod turned upside down for the most protected part would be the bottom which is what would protect them from the intense heat of entry. All got a good few of the ship's final moments.

_Queen Sparx_ was being struck by some powerful energy ray. The blasts came every five seconds and each tore away at the ship piece by piece. It spit in half and the rest continued to disintegrate. Slowly, the remaining pieces began to be pulled by the planet's gravity and that which was not destroyed by the blasts would be burned up.

There wasn't a dry eye in the pod. They may have saved themselves but they left two of their friends to die on board the _Sparx._

---

Aboard the bridge – Tecna, Stella and Icaran saw the incoming fire at the last moment. Icaran swore. Stella screamed. Tecna scrambled for some semblance of a plan. But it was all in vain.

When the first shot hit, the console turned red with warning. Each shot blew away another vital part and soon enough they had lost gravity, lighting, emergency power, even life support. It wasn't long before the _Sparx_ was torn in pieces and pulled in toward the planet. The ship's three remaining occupants were thrown around like ping-pong balls. Some blood was spilt. Some ribs were cracked. Some recognition of what was about to happened registered in their minds before they began to lose altitude.

Tecna hated herself then more than she ever did before. This was all her fault. Had she not moved the ship just slightly out of the cover of the planet's moon to send that distress pod, then they not be being fired upon right now. As it stands, there was nothing more she could do then watch as her gamble backfired in her face. She was going to die. Her last thoughts were anything but logical or reasonable. They all revolved around Timmy.

---

**Author: It's been one year today since I've started this story. December 28, 2006. Happy anniversary to White! I rushed through this chapter mainly because I wanted to post it on just this day. During the weekend, I will fix any and all errors and put in some shout outs. Thanks guys. Also, be so kind as to check out my first poll on my profile page. I'm trying to choose a new screen name. You're allowed to vote for three that you like. The results will be unveiled at my two-year anniversary in late February. Thanks guys.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Planetfall…**

**---**

The _Queen Sparx_, once the yacht of the Eraklyon Royal Family, was no more. Fire from the surface had turned the once magnificent pleasure ship into space junk and what's left careened towards the planet at the behest of gravity. Already fragments of the vessel burned up upon entry. The larger pieces would take longer but soon they too would meet a similar fate.

Only a single escape pod carrying five survivors managed to elude destruction. Now it began an arduous descent through the rolling clouds of the inhospitable world from which sounded the tolls of their doom. On board, the five occupants huddled together, wondering if there was even the slightest chance they had escaped from one horrid fate to another. This pod could very well be their coffin and if the entry did not kill them then surely the storm would. The ice planet promised only death to those who entered—none were spared.

The pod held together despite excessive groaning. The interior grew hot from intense outside heat, making it harder to breath. It grew so hot that some of them began to black out. With the last traces of oxygen leaving her brain, Bloom forced herself to look at the one window in the pod. The red glare from the fire began to give way to a gray mist and precipitation replaced the licks of flame. They had made it through the atmosphere, now they were in the clouds. At least they wouldn't burn to death, she thought. But it was still too hot and Bloom could barely keep focus. Already Musa and Flora had blacked out and Helia and Layla were not far behind. Neither was she for that matter.

She tried to speak to them; tried to tell them that they would all be all right. But she couldn't. How could she know? Everything about this mission had gone totally wrong. Never had the Winx Club or the specialists faced such perilous odds. Of all the enemies they had ever fought, the Trix, the Army of Decay, Lord Darkar and the minions of the Under Realm, Baltor, countless monsters, the one foe they could overcome was fate.

The thought of leaving Tecna and Stella on the ship still sickened her, but there was nothing that could be done. They had to leave. She kept telling herself that. They _had_ to leave. Otherwise they would have died too.

Stella…Tecna…_I'm so sorry_…

A jolt knocked Bloom's head against the bulkhead and she faded out. It wasn't much of a hit, but with the lack of oxygen a slight slap would have been enough to render her unconscious. The fairy faded into the dark, confident that at least she would die with her friends. Maybe not all of them, but sooner or later, this world would claim them all so it wouldn't be long before they were all together once again.

---

Stella never gave up, no matter what. When the bonds came free, which she was thankful for small favors, she finally managed to upright herself. The bridge was dark save for the excessive flashing of the main console. The computer emitted a warning mantra and a loud klaxon blared over the speakers though even that paled in comparison to the sound of the ship ripping itself apart.

Gotta work fast, she thought.

She scanned the room and found Tecna sprawled near the console. Stella had faith that her friend was doing something that would have helped them get out of this mess. How could she know that it was because of Tecna that they were about to die?

If she knew, that would not have changed the fact that she wanted to save her. She'd save them all. But without her ring….

A strong vacuum filled the ship and she need not a degree in engineering to know that a breach had just opened up. Her hair rose above her as if pulled on by an invisible hand. She bent her knees, drawing her weight as close to the ground imaginable to avoid being thrown off her feet and into the cold clasp of space. Making her way over to Tecna, the princess turned her over so that she was on her back and lifted her head. "Tecna," she called. When no response came she said her name louder and this time Tecna stirred.

"T-Timmy?"

"Not pretty enough," Stella said for the life of her could not believe she was joking at a time like this. "Listen, Tec, I need you to loan me whatever winx you've got left. It's the only way I can save us."

Tecna slowly opened her eyes. "My…winx?"

"Please Tec. There's not much time."

Not wanting to argue the point, Tecna slowly upraised her hand and, weak as she already was, transferred what remained of her magical power over to Stella once they touched. There was a glow, both purple and gold, as the transfer was complete. Now mostly recharged, Stella was ready to save them. "Thanks, Tec."

Placing her head on her knees, Stella raised her arms to either side of her body, palms out, and called upon her winx. A sunny glow permeated the blackened room, forming a bubble which encase the two fairies. Holding that barrier would take every ounce of will Stella had and she knew once the hull broke it would be all or nothing. She concentrated like she never had before. Tecna, lying prone, was completely helpless and relied solely on her to survive. Like a mother protecting her young, Stella steeled herself.

A gruff sound caught her attention and she turned to find Mister Icaran, his chair overturned, lying to one side. He was coughing, blood pouring from his left ear after coming in contact with a falling beam, and looked about as helpless as a fish out of water. The device which he used to control the bonds he placed around their necks lay destroyed nearby. Still attached to his chair, Icaran was as much a part of the debris as anything else on this ship.

"_Cough_…wait…_cough_…for me…"

"Are you serious? After all you've done." Stella glared venomously at him. "I wouldn't save you if you were the cutest boy in the universe!"

"Lass…you can't just…leave."

"I'm not leaving. This ship is falling apart. I'm just trying to make sure Tecna and I land in one piece."

"And what about me?"

"You can die for all I care." She was known to be emotional at times and never had a problem expressing it, but to be so cold as to wish death upon another person…that wasn't her…that wasn't Stella. But she hated this man. This was all his fault. Had they not met, she and her friends would be having the time of their lives right now. This was supposed to be their vacation and he screwed it all up. On top of all that, he had the nerve to put her and Tecna in shackles, trap their friends, and expect them to help him get rich? Nu-uh! That wasn't happening.

Going against her vary nature, Stella shrugged off her humanity. "I hope it's a long way down because I want you to think about all the evil things you've done to us. Think long and hard because this was all because of you."

"Me?" he asked in disbelief. "Check your facts, love. I would have been on my merry way had not your red-headed friend coax that information out of me. You could have just fixed my ship, say your goodbyes and never hear from me again. Instead, you all go off being heroes and stick your noses where they don't belong. All I ever wanted to do was escape with my prize and live off the rest of my days in comfort. I knew you kids would screw things up so I wasn't about to spend my remaining minutes in that brig of yours."

"So instead of helping us," Stella began. "You turn on us instead?"

"What was I supposed to do? That world is a deathtrap. I thought now that I had a ship and crew I could make off with more of the ore. It's not my fault we're going down, love."

"Then who's is it? Tecna's?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. But don't put it past her. That lass is sneaky. No doubt she did something behind my back while I was checking in on your friends. Who knows what she did but all of this started once I turned my back on you two."

"Tecna would never,"

The ship rocked violently as the vacuum became stronger. Stella and Tecna were safe in the barrier but Icaran began to slide away. "Dammit!"

"Damned is what you are. My friends are going to die! I don't care if this was your fault or not. Some one has to pay for their lives. That some one may as well be you."

"There's a cold heart behind that beautiful chest. You'd have made a fine pirate, lass."

"Go to hell!"

Something large and black materialized above Icaran. It was the shadow-serpent that has sprung Helia and the others out of sickbay. Its gold eyes fell on the fairies momentarily before it fell upon Icaran. At first Stella thought it a monster about to devour the man but then she saw his face smirk before the creature cocooned him in a protective veil of its own body. "Not yet, lass." She heard him say. "Not yet." And they vanished.

Ready to scream, Stella did just that when the bridge exploded and the sky came in.

---

The shooting stopped.

Brandon was shivering like mad yet could not force himself to return to the relative warmth of the cave. The cannon, or whatever it was, went silent after only a few rounds and several rocks shaken loose from the firing had fallen, forcing Brandon to take temporary shelter behind the mouth of the cave. When the avalanche subsided he poked his head out once more and saw something that made his heart leap to his throat: a great fireball appeared in the sky.

"No." It didn't take long to put two and two together. That fireball was the _Sparx_…and it was coming down _fast._

Without thinking he reached his hand towards the falling craft, as if that would somehow save the ship and all on board. But Brandon quickly retracted his hand at the audacity of the concept. Staying here now would not do his friends any good. They were a resourceful bunch; capable of surviving most any circumstance. He knew his Stella would have figured a way to get off the ship in one piece. Blonde she was, though NEVER a fool. She survived. As did the others. They wouldn't die here, not in this place, not on this world.

Just have faith, he told himself. Deep down his heart was pounding uncontrollably at the fear of not knowing. But he forced himself into his training. Faith was good and all but no amount of belief would get things done. That took a body, a mind, and a spirit strong enough to take matters into their own hands. So, Brandon returned to the cave, back to where he had left Timmy.

He thought at best what to do. Skye had left him in charge of protecting Timmy and while he feared for his friends he couldn't leave Timmy alone. He wondered what had taken his two companions so long to return. A scouting mission was meant to be a quick reconnaissance of enemy positions before reporting back to base. Skye knew this and he was a real stickler for following protocol. Riven was like a ninja in the dark. While rebellious, he would follow Skye's orders. Perhaps they ran into trouble?

As if he wasn't worried enough.

Brandon sat himself beside Timmy to check his vitals. Still weak and showing no signs of improving, Timmy's breathing was still slow. Brandon cursed. Not that it was Timmy's fault mind you but damn this sucked. He couldn't report to Skye. He couldn't get in contact with the _Sparx_. He couldn't go outside to find what was going on. He was stuck here with a dying friend with nothing but the sound of rushing wind to accompany Timmy's labored breathing.

What was he to do?

---

Deep within the bowels of the mountain, the commotion above stirred something from below. The insidious form moved from its hiding place, slowly but surely making its way to where it sensed the intruders had come. Like Death it came. Silent. Its purpose full of intent. Those before had suffered for unleashing it from its black womb. These new victims would know fear. They would know pain. And they would die.

---

Stella remembered wondering once what a pinball felt like. She need not wonder anymore for as she and Tecna were rocked in the violent winds they may as well have been in some giant pinball machine with a giant at the controls. It took all of her will to keep the barrier up and them alive, and just when she thought she could not hold on a moment longer a single moan from Tecna gave her the strength to persevere.

The good news was that the ship took them most of the way down and they did not have far to fall. Still, three hundred feet was a long way up and gravity was no less sympathetic whether you're a ship or a couple of fairies. The moment they touched down the barrier popped like a bubble, sending both girls flying in different directions. Stella shivered the moment that happened—it was so cold.

A while back Riven remarked on how impractical their winx outfits were. Scantily clad girls may make good for a beach, a fashion show, or a sleepover, but braving the elements with half your skin showing made for a freezing girl. Still, she was the fairy of the sun and the moon, and the former provided her with the magical ability to create a veil of warmth around her exposed body. It wasn't much but at least allowed her to stand up and get her bearings. Stella was fortunate it was so cloudy. Snow blindness would have taken her sight had the sun been out in full force. It was so white—the snow coming down in thick layers—that she could barley see an inch in front of her nose.

So white…

"Tecna," she said aloud. Fighting through the wind and cold, the princess forced her legs onward, making for where she could recollect her friend had gone. Stella was barely hanging in there so she could only imagine how Tecna was faring. All the technological smarts in the world won't save you from hypothermia unless you've got something to keep you warm. The snow was up to Stella's knees and she could feel it getting deeper the further she pressed on. "Tecna!" Were Tecna still conscious she doubt she would be able to respond. So weak had Tecna been that Stella feared she may not survive the landing.

She may not have at all.

"Tecna!"

How fortunate for her that she kept in a straight line else she may have very well overlooked the limp form of her friend lying on the ground before her. Stella had not seen the body, rather tripped on it. So covered in snow was she that Tecna may as well have been buried forever never to be discovered.

After pulling herself up, Stella dug Tecna out of the snow. She brushed the snow off her face and cringed. Tecna was pale. Granted she was the whitest member of the Winx Club next to Musa, but this sort of white made her almost blend in with the snow. Her skin was cold to the touch and her lips had turned blue. "Don't die, Tec! Don't die!" With what magic she could muster, Stella pressed her hands on Tecna's stomach and concentrated. She willed her reserves from the deepest reaches of her body to come forth and envelope Tecna in heat. Slowly, the magical light encompassing her stretched out over Tecna. Sweat began to bead on the blonde's face despite the frigid air. She'd grown tired from the ordeal of saving them from the ship. She was strained beyond her limits. Most other fairies would have collapsed from exhaustion by now.

Stella could feel her friend's heartbeat. It was weak but holding steady. She could feel the blood leaving Tecna's appendages in favor of keeping the vital organs alive. Her breathing came in slow intervals and her eyes did not open. Still, she was alive.

But neither of us will be for long if we stay out here, Stella thought. Trying to hoist her friend over her shoulder proved fruitless. It wasn't so much the fact that Stella lacked suitable upper body strength, but with most of her winx spent it was difficult to move her own body let alone another's. The most Stella could manage was cradling her friend's body against her own in an attempt at sharing heat.

_If we don't get warm soon we're dead._

Perhaps it was because she was so weak. Perhaps the wind was just too strong. Perhaps if she could see she would have noticed. But Stella had been too preoccupied to notice that fragments of the _Sparx_ were scattered all around them. On top of them, pieces of the ship continued to rain down from the sky. One of them, once a part of a deck four hallway, crashed just a few feet from them. The shock of the impact was enough to make Stella scream and blew a ton of snow in their direction. Stella covered Tecna as best she could though they were eventually enveloped.

After digging the two of them out of the wintry grave, the princess finally came to the realization that freezing to death was not their only problem. The entire field was being bombarded and here they were out in the open with no cover. Had the fragment landed just a little closer it would have cleaved the girls in half!

Another fragment crashed somewhere behind Stella. Fearing for their lives, she searched for a means of preserving just that. Some of the pieces were on fire and did provide some illumination. Still, huddling next to burning engine parts did not sound so inviting. Those things tended to explode. Scanning the area as best as her limited eyesight could fathom, she spotted a large chuck of metal that leaned at an awkward angle. It was slanted so as to provide cover from the snow and with luck the insides would be intact so they could weather the storm.

Now it was time to dig deeper than ever before. With her strength and magic power sapped, it took not just willpower but something else—her very life energy, the very thing which kept her body in motion, to get up, _with_ Tecna, and drag them over to the fragment.

Exhaustion setting in, Stella didn't care to notice that the fragment had actually been a part of the turbines which powered the ship's engines. Some energy fluid was leaking out the back, hissing softly as it touched the snow. The entire segment was three stories tall and twice that wide. The outer hull, once red, was blackened by the entry. As they approached the broken mass, Stella felt relieved to find a small opening from which to enter. The metal had cooled down enough so as not to scorch them but still contained enough warmth so that they obtained reprieve from the cold air.

Inside, Stella placed Tecna down as gently as she could manage and slumped down beside her. The barrier subsided while she reserved energy. Stella moved them several paces away from the opening and near one of the remaining consoles which had previously monitored this particular engine part. The console was completely out of commission, though energy sparked on and off from the ruptured conduits.

"Stay with me, Tec," Stella said to her friend. She was happy to see her breathing had become somewhat normal and that color had returned to her face. At the very least she managed to save them both. Whether that was a good thing remained to be seen.

---

"Bloom?"

Opening her eyes, she saw through blurred vision the appearance of a very human face. It was a beautiful face. Angelic. Was she dead? Is this heaven?

As if reading her mind, the angel responded in a voice of relief, "Welcome back."

Back? Where was back? Now that she thought about it, her body did feel kind of heavy for being dead. She always imagined her soul would be near weightless—like a cloud rather than corporeal skin, flesh and bones. Then she noticed the nagging pain in her head. The dead were not meant to feel pain. They weren't meant to feel anything.

Then it hit her just as the bulkhead did back during the descent. Bloom was not dead and this wasn't heaven. That was no angel either though she sensed Flora might disagree. "Hey, Helia."

The grogginess subsided and Bloom could finally make out his handsome face. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I just barley escaped a doomed ship with my life."

Helia looked away for one moment. "Pardon me," he excused himself and left Bloom's field of vision. Returning just seconds later with a small container he lowered it toward her. "Drink."

"What is it?"

"Water. You are dangerously dehydrated. We sweated so much inside the pod it's a wonder we're not all prunes."

Gently pressing the tip of the container to her lips, Helia gingerly allowed Bloom a drink of water. She took it in small gulps, savoring the water as her body suddenly remembered why it was so important in the first place. After she had her drink, Bloom looked around. She was still inside the pod though the hatch was wide open. "Where are we?"

"Inside some sort of cavern."

"A cavern? You mean we managed to survive?"

"Luck hasn't given up on us yet, it seems. Can you sit up?"

Bloom did just that. "And the others?"

"Layla and Musa went to scout ahead. Flora and I stayed behind to take care of you. You took a pretty nasty hit to the head there, Bloom. You're going to have a nasty bump there later."

The beginnings of one were already nagging at her skull. It's times like these she was glad she had a full head of hair to hide the blemish.

But there was another blemish that no amount of hair could hide: the blemish on her heart. "Stella and Tecna," she started. "We left them behind."

Helia sighed. "There was nothing we could have done, Bloom. The ship was falling apart and we had to save ourselves else we died with them."

"How can you talk like that?" Ire creeped its way into her voice. "Like they're just a statistic? Just casualties of war? They were our friends, Helia. They died while we ran away. I can never live with myself."

"Bloom,"

"No." She began to tear up. "Stella…my best friend. And Tecna…how could this have happened?"

"I…I don't know. All I can tell you is that we'll make this right. We won't let their deaths be in vain."

Bloom glared at Helia. "Don't make this some macho military crap. You and your sense of duty. It's not your friends that died today."

Rather than arguing, Helia lowered his head and looked away. "I'm sorry. I did not mean it the way it came out."

Her voice softened after that. "I'm just so sad."

"Me too." He looked up. "I don't know what to say to you."

"Can I have another drink of water?"

"Sure." He handed over the container. "Have as much as you want."

Bloom did.

"I'm going to step out a moment. If you need anything just call."

As Helia stepped out, Bloom suddenly realized that she was still in her winx form. Her beautiful wings were bent along the edges. Her outfit was torn in a few places and there was a small blister on her lower lip. Touching it with her tongue, she winced.

Dim lighting was flooding in through the hatch and while she could feel a slight chill in the air it wasn't enough to make her want to huddle for warmth. Laying back against the wall—ironically the very one which had knocked her out in the first place, her mind wandered back to those last moments on the _Sparx_…and the friends left behind…

---

Bloom began to cry. Helia heard it as soon as he left the pod. She needed to grieve; he understood that, which is why he chose to leave when he did. Helia had only known his friends for a few months, having entered Red Fountain only recently. It wasn't easy making friends for him. He'd always been a solitary child, preferring to be on his own rather than socialize with the other kids. As he grew up, he devoted his life to his art and to the perfection of his spirit and mind. All else took little precedence and he suffered for it.

When he finally decided to become a specialist, the one thing he knew he would have trouble doing was bonding with his fellows. Helia didn't think much of Skye and the others. They just seemed so typical of the male bravado that Red Fountain had been noted for. As time went on, and as the threat of Lord Darkar became more apparent, Helia learned that there was more to them than previously observed. Each was a hero in his own right. Each a manifestation of the standards of what Red Fountain stood for. They were honest and brave. Loyal and true. Dedicated above all else to protect the innocent from evil…even if they had to show off once in a while.

But his true reckoning came when he met Flora. His fortune with the fairer sex was even less than exemplary which, in addition to his soft features and love of art, brought up several questions as to his sexuality. Not that Helia cared what people thought about him—except when that person was Flora. This may sound cliché but he had never met anyone like her. She actually liked him for who he was and not what others wanted him to be. The emotions he felt that day when they had first met, him, the guys, the entire Winx Club, Helia had found the one thing he was missing in his search for enlightenment: his other half.

Still, their pairing was brief. They were still just getting to know one another and it would be a long time before they had anything resembling what, say, Bloom and Skye had, or even Stella and Brandon. Hell, even Riven and Musa. The one thing missing was time.

For Bloom, who had known Stella and Tecna for well over a year, to lose friends in such a way must be devastating. His attachment to his fellows was still young. Hers was a solid bond. As her moans of sadness permeated from the interior of the pod's husk, Helia could only solemnly bow his head in a silent elegy to the fallen.

Flora had huddled in a small alcove she found in the cavern floor. With her magic, she tired to create some semblance of life in this frozen place. They would need food for nourishment and the rations they managed to scavenge from the pod would not hold them out forever. Moving her delicate hands in an even more delicate movement, she tried to bring forth a plant deeply rooted in the earth. Tidbits of dirt began to shuffle as a tiny root began to make its way to the surface. Responding to her winx, the root grew and grew until it was a foot long, resembling a crooked S.

The fairy smiled at her accomplishment.

Then the root turned black and withered…becoming dead like everything else around here.

"Oh no."

Helia announced himself with a cough. "Guess you'll have to dig a little deeper, huh?"

Flora turned to him. "I don't know. I sense very little in the way of life on this world. No matter how deep I try to call to the roots below they can't seem to survive on the surface for very long. This was my third attempt."

"Nothing seems to survive very long up here. It's as if there's something loose on this world that hates life."

"Don't say that, Helia." Flora shivered, and not from the cold. "I hate this place enough as it is."

_Hate_. It's not a word he was used to hearing coming from her mouth. Ask any of the Winx girls. Flora was the sweetest person you could ever meet. She only used that word on two separate occasions,, one, when referring to evil people who did wicked deeds and, two, when she was scared.

She looked scared right now.

Kneeling beside her, Helia placed one arm around her shaking form. He held her close, using his own body to calm her. "You are not alone. Remember that. You have me with you…and your friends."

"All but two."

Helia kicked himself in the head. Bloom wasn't the only one who was friends with Tecna and Stella, may the gods have mercy on their souls.

"How's Bloom?" She asked.

"Awake," Helia said, and then he added, "She's crying."

Flora shook her head. "Poor thing."

"Maybe you should,"

"Yes." She stood up. Helia watched her walk toward the pod. Knocking (so polite) so as to let Bloom know she were about to come in. Once Flora disappeared into the escape pod, Helia fixed his eyes on the dead root. It had shriveled up as its composition began to break down. Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust.

Helia looked up at the hole they made in the ceiling on their way down. This place would likely be their tomb though he would never say that out loud. He'd been trained to face impossible situations with a clear head and thanks to his years of mental discipline his mind was as sharp as any blade.

Now if only his nerves would stop shaking.

---

Musa and Layla had traveled far. The cavern was deeper than previously imagined and they could get lost were they to travel any further. The only reason they hadn't was because Musa used sound to guide their path. Like a bat in the dark, she sent tiny sound waves ahead of them to mark where the next tunnel would be and how many. Her waves also traveled behind them so that they'd not lose the path they were currently on. She could just make out the distant voices of Helia and Flora though theirs was getting fainter by the minute.

"I think we've traveled far enough," Layla announced, stopping at a juncture which split into three different tunnels. "Let's head back."

"Shh." Musa silenced her friend with a gesture. She stopped and listened, waited. All was silent save for the breathing of two fairies.

After one moment too long, Layla asked, "What is it?"

"I thought…I heard something," Musa said. "But maybe…" She didn't like it. "Let's head back." Musa turned to lead the way back to the crash site with Layla right behind.

But something _was_ following them.

_Something_…

---

Stella woke up from a brief and unasked for sleep. Tecna's head lay against her shoulder and to the princess' relief she could see that her friend had recovered from the hypothermia. The remnant had saved them from freezing to death but it looks as if they weren't getting out any time soon. Snow blocked off their one exit and Stella could only imagine how deeply they had been buried.

"Tec," She whispered. "Tecna, it's Stella."

Tecna moaned briefly but did not wake up.

"Come on, girl. Don't leave me hanging. Heh. I sound like Musa now."

Still nothing.

"Guess even a joke won't wake you. Well looks like I'm gonna have to get us out of yet another jam. That's three in a row, Tec. I'm keeping count." She planned to nudge Tecna's surprisingly heavy head—_guess all brainy people had these_—to try to find a way out of here when her ears picked up the sound of shuffling snow. Was somebody outside?

The snowed-in hole became brighter as little by little the bits of snow were chipped away from the outside. "Some one's there." Stella told Tecna. "You think maybe it's…"

A bunch of snow came off at once. Stella could now see out the breech where a storm had unleashed a barrage upon the landscape. Cold air seeped in and the princess shivered. "Ever t-try k-knock-k-king?" She stuttered.

At the sound of her voice something poked its head in. It looked like some sort of bird. A long beak pecked at the remains of snow and as it came in Stella could make out its neck. It seemed pretty small until more of the neck came into view…and another….and another…the bird heads poked through the breech. Danger sounded off in her head but before she could react the heads burst through the breech at such speeds that Stella was completely overwhelmed. She and Tecna were taken without a single magical blast.

---

**My thanks to volleyball 7, PhoebetheQueenofDragons, Daydreamer 9, and eerocks for reviewing.**

**Finally! They're all stuck on the planet. Now the real hell begins.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Gathering…**

**---**

Layla and Musa returned to find the situation unchanged. They were stranded within an icy cavern, the gaping hole above where their life pod had crashed through sending a chill through their rocky shelter. Helia was standing guard outside the pod, his eyes falling on the two fairies as they returned from their scouting expedition. One look at their faces and he knew they met with little success. The purpose of scouting was to see if the terrain could somehow be turned to the group's advantage. It was also to alert the others of any possible dangers that the group might face.

Helia doubted they would find anything up ahead. A part of him wished he had gone with them as he was trained for such a task, but he did not want to leave Bloom and Flora; especially Flora. He was surprised when Layla and Musa voted to go scout out on their own and he pondered their decision. It's not smart to separate the team after a near-death experience. Luckily no one was seriously injured, at least not physically. Their main concern was food and water and shelter. They had plenty of shelter but one cannot survive on will alone. Helia was not much of a hunter; his pacifist ways belittled those who killed for food.

But when faced with hunger a man could do terrible things.

And if that wasn't bad enough the hole they bore through in the roof of the cavern sent frigid winds down to their abode. Helia knew they'd need to find a better place to make camp, preferably one without a makeshift sunroof.

"Anything?" He asked though he knew the answer.

Musa was the first to speak. "Nothing. We searched everywhere but it's just one lousy cave after another."

"Musa thought she heard something," Layla began but stopped when Musa shot her a warning glance.

Too late. Helia had heard what she said. "What did you hear?" He looked up at Musa. A sound means there could be animals nearby. That meant there was a food source. That meant they could eat…or be eaten. Either way it was something.

Looking back at Helia, Musa realized she might as well explain. "I don't know. It's not so much that I heard it but felt it."

"Felt _what_?"

"Like something was watching us."

Helia turned to Layla for clarification. "And you?"

"I didn't see or feel anything. Not that I'm denying you, Muse, but we were pretty much alone back there."

"I'm not so sure."

Helia finally stood up. "How far back was this?"

"A cave about eighty yards away, second on the left," Layla answered. "The entrance was pretty small but it widened up further in."

"Did it look like something had been there recently?"

"I'm no expert, but no. It's pretty much empty."

"I'm telling you, Layla, there was something there. It was only for a brief second but I felt it."

"Then how come I didn't? I'm a fairy too."

Musa shook her head. "I don't know."

"I should check this out," Helia said. "Can you lead me back to the cave?"

"I don't want to go back there, Helia. Let's just stay here."

"We can't. Sooner or later we're going to freeze. Either that or starve. We need to move to a better location, which is why I let you guys go scouting in the first place."

"You _let_ us? What are you our leader now?" Layla crossed her arms, her feminism taking the forefront.

"Observe, Layla. We're in a cave inside a mountain with no food or water. The snow's going to pile up and the temperature will continue to drop. If we don't leave here soon we will die."

"I want to leave here." Musa rubbed her shoulders as if the cold Helia mentioned had finally taken root. "I want to get as far away from this place as possible. I want to leave this planet for good and never come back."

"Let's worry about staying alive first. Then we can worry about finding a way off this rock." Helia looked Musa over. He came to a decision. "Layla, Bloom just woke up. Flora's been with her for a while now and she hasn't come out. You think you might want to see how they're doing?" He asked, although it was meant as more of a forced suggestion. He wanted to be alone with Musa and could not talk to her with Layla present.

At the mention of Bloom's name, Layla's eyes lit up. "Is she okay?"

"A little worse for the wear, but she's alright. At least in the physical sense."

He need say no more. Layla brushed by him and went straight for the pod. Musa followed but was stopped by Helia who got in her way. "We need to talk."

"I'm not feeling too well now, Helia."

"Musa please. I need to know what you felt."

"I already told you. It was like we were being watched."

"Is that all? Is that all you got from your sixth sense?"

Musa glared at him.

"There are fairies like you back in my home realm. Fairies of music, poetry and the arts. Your power allows you to be more aware of your surroundings than other fairies. You sense things that others do not. If you say you felt something then that means there is something there. Whether you saw it or not is irrelevant."

"I know what I'm capable of, Helia."

"Then why are you so afraid to talk about it? You're strong. Brave. Riven wouldn't be with you otherwise. You should hear how he goes on about your spirit." Helia noticed the beaming glean that appeared in her dark eyes. He knew that Riven rarely told Musa how much she meant to him. It was stupid of him, yes, and Musa needed to hear it. She really was a special girl. Why couldn't he see that? "I know you're scared. We all are. But we need to know what's out there. If you sense something, anything, do not keep it to yourself. Our survival may depend on you." It's a lot to put on one girl but Helia knew theirs was a dire situation. They will need Musa's awareness skills if they have any hope of getting out of here.

His words reaching her, Musa finally opened up. "I don't know how to say this. It was dark. Really dark. It was like a really deep hole opened up and something came out of it. I never felt anything like it before. I told you it was for a second, but it was enough to make me want to run away and never look back. I was so cared, Helia. Even in my winx form I was too terrified. I told Layla we should go and we did. If we stayed I felt like I would have started crying."

"Dark? Like the witches?"

She shook her head. "Worse."

"Darkar?"

"No. Even they had souls. This was pure darkness. It was so scary I can't even describe how I felt when I first sensed it."

Helia grew worried. How he wished his friends were here. The winx girls were tough but he felt more comfortable fighting alongside people he had trained with. Poor Brandon. Poor Timmy. They didn't know their loves had perished in the crash.

Musa covered her eyes to wipe away the tears. "I'm sorry. I'm not much use like this am I?"

"Don't worry. We're all scared now. We just need to keep it together."

"What about Bloom?" Musa may be more attuned, but Bloom was the most sensitive of the fairies. The loss of their friends would be hardest on her because she had the biggest heart. How will she hold up?

"Let's go talk to her. She'll be relieved to know that she still has people who care about her and that they are with her now. Come on." Taking her shoulder, he guided her towards the crashed pod. After a moment he let go to let her walk by herself.

Helia paused outside the pod. He could hear the girls conversing inside but did not go in yet. Musa's words haunted him and he wondered if they should be getting out of here as soon as possible. Maybe it was paranoia setting in, but he was starting to feel that perhaps they weren't alone. So many caves. What dark secrets did each hold? What secrets meant them harm? Which ones were watching them even now?

---

He couldn't wait around any longer. Brandon was a man of action. Even if his commander ordered him to say behind he knew he could not just stand around here while gods know what was happening outside. The _Sparx_ had been shot down. Their friends on board possibly dead, but the ever optimistic Brandon would always hope for the best. He refused to believe that his friends, that his Stella, perished on that ship. They survived worse scraps before and there was no reason to believe they didn't this time.

It took every ounce of nerve in his body to ignore that dreadful feeling at the back of his mind, the one that would tell one's subconscious that yours was a false hope and that those you care about are really and truly dead. Brandon refused to admit defeat. To do so would go against his principles. He had to know the truth, he had to find them. He had to find Stella.

But what about Timmy?

Skye and Riven left a long time ago. That he had no way of communicating with them made him even more anxious. He knew his friends could take care of anything they came across but still. Things were pretty tense between them lately, in particular those two. This is why Brandon wished he went with Skye instead. Skye would chalk his decision up to Riven being a skilled scout but that only made Brandon even more frustrated. Riven wasn't all there. He knew the guy better than he would care to admit. He was all off for some reason and he suspected it had to do with one dark-haired fairy aboard the _Sparx._

Neither he nor Skye would take well to learning of its fate.

_Dammit!_

Unable to take it, Brandon got up and began to pace. He couldn't wait around here. But poor Timmy. He could not just abandon him. What was a hero to do?

"Skye, where the hell are you? Riven. Stella." He grabbed his hair. "Stella!"

"B-Brandon."

The voice froze him dead in his tracks. "Timmy?"

The injured specialist had his eyes open to slits. His voice was weak but it worked just fine. That he was talking at all sent Brandon's spirits soaring. Finally a piece of good news.

Brandon rushed over so fast he nearly stepped on Timmy. He fell to one knee. "Timster. You're alright!"

"I feel…sick."

"You can say that again, buddy." Brandon felt moisture gathering on the brim of his eyes. After all the troubles they went through he was only too happy for small miracles. "But you're looking better." It wasn't the truth, but he wanted to enjoy this small victory.

"What…happened?"

Brandon gradually brought him up to date from the moment he was taken by the subterranean worm to when Skye and Riven set off on their mission. Despite being half-dazed, Timmy seemed to understand every word. His formidable mind fought through the delirium brought on by the fever. When he was finished, Brandon sat down on his rear end, hugging one leg close to his chest.He purposely left out the part about the _Sparx_ being shot down because the last thing Timmy needed to worry about was whether or not his girlfriend was dead.

"How long ago?" Timmy asked.

"Not sure. Half an hour ago. An hour. Two. Time stands still in this place."

"They should have come back already."

Brandon agreed. "Yeah. They should have."

Timmy tried to raise his head. He tried to get his bearings in the cave but all he saw was stone walls.

"Timmy. This is a stupid question but how are you feeling?"

"Like I just came back from the dead," he answered honestly.

"That was a close call. We almost didn't get you in time. That worm was the biggest, ugliest thing I've seen in a long time."

"I knew you guys could handle it."

"You did?"

"Well no. I was pretty much scared out of my mind and the last thing I remember thinking about was Tecna."

Brandon winced.

"What?" Even in his hazy state Timmy was still able to catch that minor change in his behavior.

"Nothing," Brandon lied. "I…" He wondered if he should reveal the truth to his comrade. Brandon would hate it if something had happened to Stella and no one told him about it. Who was he to keep this from him? His friend? His brother? Was it the right thing to do?

To drop such a bomb might kill Timmy right there. He was a born worrier. Truth is they all were. If anything happened to their girlfriends or anyone they cared about they'd stay up all night fearing the worse. Not something a specialist likes to admit but there it is.

"I just miss the girls is all." A weak lie if there ever was one, but Brandon needed a way to avoid the truth. If Skye were here he'd know how to handle the situation.

Timmy studied Brandon's expression. He was about to ask another question when the cave started to shake. Loose rocks and pebbles began to bombard them. Timmy coughed when he inhaled too many dust fragments. His weak body convulsed with the effort.

"Timmy!" Brandon reached for him but by then he had settled down. It was only momentary but that still didn't change the fact that Timmy was very sick.

He raised a hand to hold Brandon back. "I'm okay." His eyes were all watery and Brandon knew he was anything but. "What was that? Tremor?"

Brandon knew what it was but he wasn't about to tell Timmy. Fragments of the _Sparx_ were no doubt burning through the atmosphere and one of them must have landed nearby.

"No," Timmy's face narrowed in scrutiny. "Something crashed. That sounded like a crash."

Brandon looked away.

"Brandon, is there something you're not telling me? You seem hesitant."

It broke his heart just thinking about it. Even halfway to his grave Timmy was as perceptive as ever. He could not hide the truth from him for long.

"Brandon."

He let out a long-winded sigh. "Timmy…the ship was shot down."

Timmy said and did nothing. He just looked at Brandon; expecting more of an explanation.

"There was some kind of gun; a canon, I think. It opened fire at something in the sky. There's only one thing up there worth shooting at. I think…I think it was the _Sparx_. That shake you felt just a while ago, I think it may have been one of the pieces of the ship crashing down from orbit. It's gone, Timmy."

"Are you saying our friends are dead?"

"I'm saying…I d…._ugh_….I don't know what I'm saying. All it know is," Brandon grabbed his face like he was about to tear at it in frustration.

"What? What is it?"

"I don't know. I DON'T KNOW!" He shot up, pulling at his hair. "Skye told me to stay and watch you but while we're here our friends might be dead. They might all be dead. I can't stay here not knowing what happened. Did they make it off in time? Did they escape? Did they land safely? I just don't know how to take this. I'm going out of my mind."

Timmy watched him pace about like an irate tiger. If a monster or enemy showed this instant, Brandon would unleash all his pent-up fury with a vengeance upon it.

"I have to do something. I have to know she's alright. I have to find Stella!"

"Brandon."

He looked at Timmy. "What?" His tone carried an edge to it that signified he was in no mood for consoling.

"Calm down. Let's think through this."

"Think through this? In case you didn't hear me, the _Sparx_ was shot down. It was blown out of the sky. Everyone could be dead, Timmy. That includes Tecna."

"I heard you. And I know what you're implying. But there were plenty of escape pods. Who's to say they didn't get out of the ship before it was destroyed?"

"No. They couldn't." It killed him to have to say it but Brandon knew the truth. He had read the message.

"Why do you say that? Our girls are tough. They can survive anything."

"I don't think they made it."

"Why?"

Grabbing the pad he picked up from the drone Tecna sent down earlier, he lifted it up. "Because of this." He squeezed the sides. "Tecna sent this earlier by emergency drone. The ship has been taken over. Icaran escaped and he was holding our girls hostage. He had control of the ship when it was attacked."

Timmy's eyes widened. "But how did he escape? That brig was foolproof."

"Apparently not." Brandon grumbled. Timmy had done several upgrades on the ship prior to their departure, the brig in particular. That Brandon hinted at his escape being Timmy's fault proved how angry he was. "He got out. He captured the Winx. Now we're stranded. You're dying and the girls may be dead."

"No. I don't believe that. Tecna would have…"

"She's gone, dude! Deal with it." Throwing the pad to a darkened corner of the cave, Brandon turned away and fell to his knees. He began to sulk, his shoulders sagging.

"I can't believe this. This was supposed to be the best time of our lives. We were going on vacation. It was not supposed to be this way. We failed, Timmy. We're supposed to protect the people we care about and we failed. We're not heroes. We're failures." He hung his head. "I failed her."

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. Startled, Brandon turned to find Timmy, struggling despite the pain, gritting his teeth in determination, glaring at Brandon with a look he had never seen before. "Now you listen to me. I may not have much time left but I'll be damned if I'm going to spend it wondering about what ifs. We were trained to fight against the inevitable. We don't retreat and we don't give up. Even when things look their bleakest, dammit we fight harder! Now if you want to sulk, do it on your own time. But I for one am not going to wait here to die. I'm going to do what I can to find our people and bring them home. I refuse to die until that happens. I am a specialist. As are you. Do not betray us by being weak."

"Weak?" Brandon had never been called that before.

"Don't just give up. You think I'm not afraid for Tecna? You think I don't fear she's dead? Of course I do. If she is, I will carry her body back home myself. Can you say the same for Stella? Will you just let her memory pass on without even trying to honor it? Will you?"

Brandon snapped out of it. "No."

"Then help me."

After a long pause, Brandon slowly helped Timmy to his feet. He was very wobbly and could barely stand. What reserves of strength he harnessed to become so strong Brandon will never know. He'd never seen Timmy so determined before. His courage was an inspiration. Brandon drew upon that strength and in doing so became committed.

"Take me to that drone."

"You got it."

Little by little, Brandon carried his friend over to the downed drone. In doing so he came to realize one thing: Timmy was the strongest man he had ever met.

---

They found the place to be as dead on the inside as it was outside.

In every literal sense.

Though they found no bodies, Skye and Riven came across multiple signs of death. There was blood strewn about the halls. What was more disturbing was that some of it was still fresh. Riven nearly tripped himself atop a flight of stairs and he was lucky Skye was behind him to prevent him from falling back. The fresh blood hinted that whoever it belonged to had died not that long ago. It also meant that his killer/attacker may still be in the immediate vicinity. The two specialists were on high alert, swords drawn and muscles tense.

Their night-vision visors provided the light they needed to get through the place. That there were no bodies strewn about made them nervous. What sort of enemy kills someone only to take their bodies away? Only predators did that. They'd take the kill back to their lair to feast on the successful hunt. Scavengers would pick at the remains but did not move it.

Soldiers would hide the bodies to prevent them from being found by the enemy but any trained combatant would never leave such a mess behind them. Judging from the blood, these kills were brutal, sudden, and merciless. A soldier would have been quick and precise, making sure to leave no trace for the enemy to follow. This was not the work of trained killers or of lethal predators.

This was just a massacre.

They searched for what seemed like hours and after they 'secured' the building went about looking for the medical ward. They found it in pretty much the same shape they found the rest of the complex: bloody and messy. Furniture was strewn around like a tornado had gone through the place. There was broken glass and twisted metal in some parts. Shelves were ripped apart. Vials lay shattered. Their hearts sank realizing that their means of saving Timmy may be long gone.

"It's like they didn't want anyone to survive," Riven stated. He was going over a counter where the medic would keep sedatives and the like to help ease his patient's pain. There was nothing left.

"What happened here?" Skye asked the walls as if they could tell him. "Where is everyone?"

"Dead most likely. Except for our pal Manny."

"We should talk to him."

At that suggestion, Riven turned to the prince. "The guy nearly killed you and you want to make friends? What's that about?"

"He may know something."

"He's crazy. Probably can't even tell you his own name let alone fill you in."

"He's all we have. Look for a sedative or something that can calm him down."

Riven sighed but did as Skye told him. Not like he had any better ideas.

Skye spotted a computer panel in the far corner. "Here." He went over and noticed that whoever was on last had not bothered to log off. "This might tell us something."

"Or nothing at all. It looks pretty banged up."

Tired of Riven's pessimism, Skye typed up the latest log report.

Riven managed to find a couple of sedatives that were still in tact. They were not on the counter but rather underneath it, strewn all over the floor. He pushed the broken fragments out of the way and reached down for the two unbroken ampules. "Jackpot. Now all we need to do is find something that can help Timmy and this trip won't have been a waste of our time. Find anything?"

"Mostly supply manifests. This place was well-stocked. They were running quite the operation."

"Does it say what this was?"

Skye looked it over for a moment. "There's a mining facility about two miles beneath us. That's where they discovered the oblivium ore. The miners would bring it up via the elevator and stock it here. They'd then send it over via the tram we saw to the colony on the other end of the chasm. That's where the ore would be processed and made ready for shipment."

"All from the comfort of their own homes."

Skye nodded. "It houses at least three-hundred people. Miners, guards, their families, with the market they were producing they could support themselves indefinitely. You wouldn't believe some of these numbers."

"I can imagine."

"I think I found Manny," Skye said.

Riven walked over to look over Skye's shoulder. "He's pretty new. Brought his family over less than two months ago." Riven looked up at the devastation. "Poor bastard never knew this was going to happen. Wonder if his wife and kid are okay?"

"That colony looked pretty isolated. Whatever happened here may not have happened over there."

"Do you really believe that?"

"No."

"Then why say it?"

"Because someone has to. Things are bleak enough without us adding to depression. Hope's the only chance we have."

"Like we hoped we might find a way of helping Timmy when we came here?"

"Have you finished your sweep?"

Taking the hint, Riven took another look around.

"Don't go too far," Skye said.

"Yes, mom."

Skye was amazed at how sophisticated this operation was. A concealed hangar atop for the ships that would run to and from the planet. Their defense system was topnotch, from large, powerful batteries, to smaller, more versatile Gatling guns. A quartet of missile pods rounded out the base's defense system and to top it all off the planet's chaotic weather pattern provided the place with near invisibility.

From the hangar ran a series of lifts that led to the colony. Recreation facilities lined the top floor. Below were security and maintenance areas as well as the processing plant. Further down were the residential areas, houses, schools, hospital, everything for people to live a normal life—or what passes for normal in an illegal underground complex. A tramway connected the colony with the construct they were in now.

It would have taken a lot of money and resources to set all this up. No doubt bought with dirty money and the blood and sweat of others. For a moment Skye allowed himself a chance of self-righteousness as they were doing the right thing by shutting this place down.

But the cost was already pretty hefty. In all the discovery he almost forgot why they came here in the first place.

Where had Riven gone? Didn't he tell him to stay close?

He just stood up when the monitor came to life. "Hello? Is anyone there? Hello?"

Skye's eyes widened like he just heard a ghost. Someone was alive!

He hit the respond key. "Hello, this is…" He couldn't reveal their identities. "Security. You're coming in very weak. Who am I speaking with?"

"Thank the gods," said the voice on the other end. The message was garbled so he could not make out whether it was male or female. It was sound only so he could see no face. The voice sounded panicked, like in a big hurry. "We thought we were the only ones left alive."

"Who is this?" Skye asked again.

"You have to help us. Those things they're….they're everywhere. They've overrun the guards and we're cut off from the lift. We're trapped down here." There was a pause. "We have wounded. Two dead. We had to kill them before they changed."

"Changed? Changed into what?"

"Those things they get inside you and…you change. I don't know how else to explain it. Gods they killed so many of us. We have to get up there. Can you help us?"

Skye did not answer.

"Please. We barricaded ourselves as best we can but we can't hold out much longer. You must help us. We're in the third juncture by the cooling plants. They don't seem to like the cold."

"What are you fighting? What kind of things?"

"I don't know. Some kind of carnivorous parasite. It kills then it takes over. We…we don't know how to fight it. There's no end to them. Please you have to help us."

"Hang on. Help is on the way."

"Who are you talking to?" Riven appeared as suddenly as he vanished. He was carrying an elongated capsule in his hand when he asked the question.

The prince motioned to the monitor. "We'll get down to you as soon as possible. In the meantime just hold tight."

"We can't. We can't hold out."

"You must. Just hang on."

"What? You're breaking up."

"I said HOLD ON."

The transmission was cut.

"Dammit!"

"Who was that?"

"There are survivors down below. They're being attacked by something; I couldn't get much out of them. I told them we'd help."

"What about Timmy? Isn't he our first priority?"

"I know that." Skye hung his head. "But we can't just leave them."

"How's this? You head back to base while I check things out?"

"No. No, Riven. We're not splitting up."

"I can look after myself. Besides," he tossed the capsule over to Skye. "I think if found a way to save Timmy."

---

**Wow. I finally updated. This has been my longest story to date. Wonder if I'll ever get around to finishing it. Hope you loved the suspense.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Falling out...**

**---**

"We can't just leave him here," Sky thought aloud. Manny was still tied up near the entryway and Sky wasn't sure of what to do with him. His head lagged to the side, his tongue hung out in a dehydrated pose. He previously tried to give him some water but the man's jaw snapped at him like some rabid dog and Sky never did that again.

Riven found what they needed to help Timmy get back on his feet. Sky knew they had to get back fast and that that wouldn't be possible if they were forced to drag their prisoner with them. His uncooperative attitude would make it difficult just to make the climb up. If Manny somehow broke free of his restraints, attacked them, they'd either have to put him down for good or just leave him. Neither option pleased Sky. A specialist was trained to value life above all else. His training and his instincts told him they could not discard Manny like that.

So what to do now?

Riven joined him, not bothering to acknowledge Manny as he spoke into the prince's ear. "We have to go."

"I know that."

"Sky, he's not going anywhere. He survived this long by himself. He's a tough guy. Timmy may not have the luxury of us playing human. We get back, save Timmy, and then we worry about Manny."

"And what of the people below? Do we just worry about them later?"

"There's nothing the two of us can do for them. We need backup."

Sky looked at him. "That's the first I ever heard you acknowledging that we might need help."

"I'm proud, not stupid. Whatever's down there took down an entire colony of three hundred people. From the looks of it this place was well stocked and well armed. I'm not looking forward to facing whatever could overrun an installation like this by ourselves."

Sky nodded, thankful his friend was showing some humility. "Agreed. But to leave Manny,"

"I told you we should split up but you disagreed. So now we're at an impasse. Do we leave Manny and go save our _friend_, or do we try to help the guy who tried to bash your face in with a wrench? It's your call."

"We don't abandon those in need."

"Timmy's in need, Sky. I'd much risk my ass to save him than some psycho."

Sky looked at Manny. He was motionless.

"Part of being team leader," Sky said, "is that you have to make the tough decisions. Some of them may end up costing the lives of those you care about."

Riven said, "Let me put it to you this way: neither of us is a licensed medic. Next to Helia, Timmy's the best one we have. We fix him up and bring him down here to save Manny."

"Why are you so ready to leave him like this?"

"Because I have my priorities straight. Dammit, Sky! Let's go!"

"All life is precious; even that of your enemy's."

Riven threw his head up in exasperation.

"Eighth Rule of Heroics. Timmy wouldn't want us to abandon those in need."

"Timmy," Riven barked. "Is dying. In case you don't know."

"I was there."

"Then let's go save him."

"Maybe…maybe we should split up. Maybe you should go back while I hold down the fort here."

The redhead's eyes bulged. "Are you serious? Why are you second-guessing yourself all of a sudden? What's with you, man?"

"I don't know." Sky was lost. He had been losing himself ever since they went on this stupid trip. After all he put his friends through he was beginning to question his decisions. That was never a good thing to do, especially when there are those who have come to depend on you.

"Sky, listen. As much as it pains me to admit, you're the leader. You are my commanding officer. I disagree with a lot of your decisions but I've come to see why Codatorta put you in charge. You're smart. You make the hard decisions. You analyze every-freaking-thing you set your eyes on. You're tedious and narrow-minded to a fault and sometimes I just want to smack you for it."

"Thanks." Sky's eyes narrowed.

"But I'd follow you just about anywhere and if Brandon were here I know he'd be saying the same thing. Now you have a decision to make here. Do we go back for Timmy or help Manny and the people below? We can't do both. It's just you and me here and time's wasting. Let's not forget the girls on the _Sparx_ or that we still have a mission to finish. So what's it going to be? Go or stay?"

The prince sighed. "Dammit. We go."

"That's what I'm talking about." Like an excited child, Riven readied the cables they'd use to scale the steep cliff back to the top. Sky studied Manny for a moment. He decided to leave a bottle of water nearby so that the man would be able to quench his thirst. Placing it gently between his legs, Sky stepped back, expecting another snapping fit, but Manny did not move. "Sorry, Manny. I promise we'll be back as soon as possible."

"Let's go, prince," Riven said from above.

Shaking his head out of apathy, Sky went for the rope and began climbing after Riven.

---

Minutes later and they were both at the top of the crevice. The duo wasted no time in getting back to the cave where they had left their stranded companions. Riven kept the canister he obtained inside his backpack, taking special care not to break it seeing as its contents were quite valuable. It contained a series of syringes which they could use to formulate an antidote for whatever poison was injected into Timmy's body. The colonists were equipped to deal with whatever obstacles they would have to face this deep underground. This included having ways to combat the local wildlife, and that included cures.

The two worked their way back in silence despite not having run into any resistance on their over here. Precaution was the best way to avoid falling into a trap or stumble across a hungry animal with a taste for meat. After battling that worm, the specialists were only too careful.

They reached the pit where they worm grabbed Timmy. Riven was the first down with Sky following. The prince hoped against hope that they were not too late. With the equipment they had back at camp they would be able to analyze the poison and use the syringes to come up with a combative way of suppressing it. That is, if Timmy was not too far gone.

Sky told himself they would make it. The further they went, the more he was glad of his decision to come back. Riven had been right in that they could do nothing for Manny or the colonists down below if they did not tend to their own first. Besides, these were his brothers. They were his first priority.

They made it back to the cave and found it to be empty. Riven immediately went on the alert while Sky studied the situation. There were no signs of a struggle. No blood or scorch marks. Nothing to suggest the place had come under attack. Brandon would have made a real mess of things should something had happened. Unless…he was surprised.

Brandon was usually very alert and Sky doubt anything would have gotten the drop on him. His fears waned when heard something. "Wait," he told Riven who quickly looked at his direction. It was only a moment before Riven heard it too. He motioned for Riven to follow him. Near the back of the cave they found a hole left behind by a crashed data pod. The pod itself was embedded deep into the rock. Beside it was a hunched over Timmy, working reverently on a data pad while Brandon stood watch. The hero's bright, brown eyes lit up when he saw them.

"About time you got back." He approached Sky and took his hand in a friendly gesture. "What took you so long?"

"Long story." Sky gestured to Timmy. "What's he doing up?"

"He insisted." Brandon told them how Timmy miraculously woke up and how he went to work accessing the situation on board the _Sparx._ Timmy's face was red in concentration and he sweated profusely but he refused to rest.

"He's going to kill himself," Riven said. He removed his pack and took out the canister it held. "Brandon, help me with this."

"What's what?" He asked when he came to Riven's side.

"Syringes. We think we can create an antidote to whatever's hurting Timmy but we have to figure what that is first before we can administer it. We have a sick kit don't we?"

"Over here. Come on." Brandon got up and led the way back to camp. A sick kit was a special piece of equipment specialists used to create antidotes for any diseases they might encounter on their missions. Hopefully they could synthesize the proper antidote and in the appropriate quantity.

While Brandon helped Riven set it up, Prince Sky went over to Timmy and knelt down beside him. "How you feeling, Tim?"

"Is that a trick question?" Timmy asked without looking back. "Because the truth is, Sky, I feel like crap."

There was a harshness in the way he spoke that worried Sky. "Stupid question. Why don't we get you back to camp? We think we found some sort of antidote that can cure you but we need you to rest so as to slow the spread of the poison."

"I don't have time to rest."

"Please, Timmy."

"You wouldn't make me if you knew what I know."

At that, Sky remained silent.

Timmy paused momentarily. He didn't look at Sky but rubbed his eyes. His face was red and he was wobbling while sitting down. Whatever it was he was working on was taxing him and it was nothing short of will that kept him from passing out. "Sky…we think the _Sparx_ was shot down."

Sky's eyes widened.

"Brandon said a weapon discharged earlier in the day. I was still knocked out but he said it was a gun of some kind. Not long after we began to feel impacts. I believe it was fragments of the ship falling from orbit."

"But how? I told Tecna to keep the ship out of range. There's no way it could have been detected."

"There's more." At that, the young genius finally looked at Sky. "Take a look at this. This pod came through a little while before the gun started shooting. Inside it was this data pad. There's a message from Tecna."

Timmy scrolled to the beginning of the message before passing the pad over to Sky. He allowed the prince to read it in silence though he could imagine Sky's heart beating faster with each sentence. "No."

"He's taken over the ship. Or he did. Before it was shot down."

"How?" Sky's mouth was hanging open like it was the most unbelievable thing he had ever read. "How?" He asked again.

"I don't know. Perhaps we underestimated Mister Icaran."

"I don't believe it. That's the Winx Club up there. There's no way he could have defeated them."

"From the sound of it, I say he outsmarted them. It's the best way to defeat a superior foe." Then he added, "Though I can't believe Tecna would be so easily fooled."

"Did you try sending a message out? Did you try reaching the _Sparx_?"

"Did you not pay attention? It was shot down. Sending a message would be pointless."

"But the girls."

"Are either dead or they soon will be."

Sky could not believe what he was hearing. "Timmy, listen to yourself. You're giving up on them already?"

"I wake up just to find out my girlfriend's dead. I think things would have been better if I just stayed asleep and died."

"Timmy!"

"Just died. I just want to…" He passed out on the ground.

"Guys!" Sky grabbed his prone form. He was burning up. Sky didn't know how much time he had left. "Brandon! Riven! Hurry up! Timmy's not going to last much longer!"

"We're working on it," Riven's voice came back.

"Just a couple more minutes, Sky," Brandon said.

"He doesn't have a couple minutes."

Timmy's breathing grew more labored. He poison was taking hold. Soon they would lose him forever. Prince Sky just came back from the depths of hell to find out he had lost nearly every one he held dear.

Helia, Flora, Musa, Bloom, and Layla departed as soon as they were able to gather themselves. They took what provisions they could carry before moving on. Musa and Layla, having scouted earlier, took point. They dragged their feet at first, none of them eager to venture into those deep, dark caves, but as Helia pointed out, the temperature drop would eventually kill them and the group had to find food and a reliable source of water if they had any hope of surviving.

All the girls were in their winx form. Bloom created a fireball by which to light the way. Musa was listening intently with those sonic ears of hers. She seemed worried and only Layla and Helia knew why. Layla stayed close to her while Helia took up the rear. He made it a point to look over his shoulder once in a while…just to be safe.

Of all of them, the only one who seemed the most confidant was Flora. The brunette walked behind Bloom. She knew events had taken its toll on Bloom, being the most sensitive of the Winx Club. She wanted to look after her, to make sure she was alright. Her inner strength was diminished and as her friend it was Flora's duty to see it did not go out.

The fact that Helia was there did not escape her. It's not that Flora looked to him for protection or guidance, but she felt stronger having him around. Call it selfishness, but that she was the only one of the group whose boyfriend was still with her made her feel special. It's hard to think that way and she hated herself for doing it. Who knows what happened to Sky, Brandon, Riven and Timmy. Were the boys okay? She hoped so. Bloom could really use Sky's company right now. Having your significant other there beside you really made the bleakest moments seem bearable.

After about twenty minutes, the group stopped. Musa was still listening for a sound. "Anything?" Layla asked beside her.

"Shh." Musa focused. "Nothing. It's all dead."

"Please rephrase."

"Sorry. It's all quiet."

"Then let's keep moving," Flora said. "I don't like it here."

"Join the club," Musa muttered.

Helia focused his attention to something behind them. Probably a shadow emanating from Bloom's winx fire. Or maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him. Either that or he was just scared. There's no shame in admitting that….to oneself, at least.

Stranded with four very attractive young women may seem like a man's dream come true, but Helia was too busy freaking out to care. While he may not have Bloom's perceptive abilities or Musa's sharp senses, his heart was telling him there was something very wrong. They needed to keep moving. The light flickered and Helia turned around to find the girls were already doing just that. He moved to keep up.

"Hold it," Layla told them. "I don't remember this turn. Musa?"

The dark-haired fairy paused to study the place. They had reached a fork, one path led down a narrow incline to the right while a large hole stood to their left. "Not sure. They all look the same."

"So we're lost?" Flora asked them.

"I think this is pretty much where we left off, Flo. We didn't go that deep enough to begin with because we had so little light. Now that Bloom's here, everything looks different." Musa tuned her ears again. "I still get nothing."

"What do your ears have to do with anything?"

"I can usually hear some kind of wind through the caves. It's how I kept my bearings when we first came out here. The wind coming from the hole we left in the ceiling was like a beacon I could home in on. By keeping it to our backs and hearing the air traveling through the cave, I know we're not heading back where we came from. It's getting harder to hear it the more we go on. That's why I'm listening so hard. I want to see if there's another chamber somewhere," she explained. "Or at least some kind of dripping water."

"Do these caves look natural to you?" Flora asked all of a sudden. "They seem kind of strange."

Helia took notice. "I'm no expert on caves. But they do appear a bit strange."

"How so?" Layla had to ask.

"I don't know. They look hallowed out."

"As it someone took a pike and shovel to smooth out the surface?"

"I wouldn't put it that way, but yes."

Layla shook her head. "You guys are just imagining things. You have any idea the time and effort it would take to smooth out these walls? Try a whole army of chiselers a hundred years. Who'd go through that kind of trouble?"

"They could have used magic?"

"Even Lord Darkar didn't construct the Under Realm. It's all nature's work."

"Right. And nothing about this place seems natural." Helia studied the walls. "At the very least, I'd say something's been through here?"

"Like what?"

"Don't know." Helia could see that this could turn into a heated debate. Layla was strong-willed and when she set her mind to an argument it was almost impossible to stop until the other side caved in. Speaking of which, Helia wondered how sturdy that roof was. "But let's keep moving. We can discuss the finer points of cave formations when we find a place to rest."

"Bloom?" Flora placed a hand on her shoulder. She'd been silent since they departed. Bloom not once looked up or joined in the conversation and she was starting to worry Flora.

"Let's go." She started walking, dislodging herself from her friend's tanned hand. The group continued onward. Moments passed and still they wandered. Musa found it harder and harder to hear the "beacon" of wind she informed her friends about. Soon there was nothing but silence. Other than their footsteps, there was no other sound audible.

"I'm tired," the musical fairy said. "Can we stop a while?"

The others agreed. They had just stopped in a tunnel that seemed too round to be a natural formation. Bloom kept the flame burning but remained standing. Her sad eyes remained fixed on the ground. Helia was about to say something to her but Flora stopped him. "No."

"But,"

"I'll talk with her. There are some things I need to say. She'll more likely open up to me than you. No offense."

"None taken."

"Sorry, Helia. Maybe you could, you know, set up a perimeter?"

"Yes, ma'am." He gave off a friendly salute.

As Helia left, Flora approached Bloom. "Bloom, I'm here for you."

Bloom did look at her, but her face did not soften.

"Honey,"

"I lost them, Flora. Stella. Tecna. They're dead. My friends are dead." Her voice was dead too, as if the shock of it all had stolen any emotion from it.

"We would have saved them if we could, Bloom. The ship was going down. There was nothing more we could have done."

"Helia forced us into the pod. He made us leave them."

"He did it because if we had stayed we all would have died. He knew if we went after the girls, then none of us would have made it off that ship alive."

"We could have saved them. We never abandoned each other before. No matter what."

"Bloom."

"I could have saved them, Flora." Tears welled up in her eyes.

Flora took her in her arms as she began to sob. Musa and Layla overheard her crying and looked over. They didn't approach, however. They knew what was going through Bloom's mind even though they had not spoken about it. Bloom had the biggest heart out of all the Winx Club. Losing her friends like that would destroy her. Even if they did manage to get off this planet and back home, she will never let their deaths go. She probably blamed herself for it. What must it be like, they wondered, to carry such weight on one's shoulders?

Helia heard it too. He stood at the edge of the firelight, setting up the so-called perimeter as Flora had asked him to do. There wasn't much he could do by himself, let alone without the proper equipment. He knew that the girls needed time to talk and figured now was as good a time as any.

"Bloom's taking this real hard," Layla told Musa.

"She just lost her friends. How would you react?"

The dark beauty turned on her rather quickly. "They were my friends too, Musa. Don't act like I don't care about them."

"You didn't know them as long as she…as we did. It's harder that way."

"Harder? Girl, this is tearing me up inside."

"You don't show it," Musa bit her tongue, but it was too late.

The look of anger and pain in Layla's eyes expressed it all. It had to be the most hurtful thing anyone had said to Layla in a long time. Quite possibly, the most painful thing she had ever heard. That Musa would speak to her in this way.

"Sorry," Musa said to take the sting away, but what was done was done, and words, no matter how regretful, can never be retracted.

Besides, Musa's apology did not sound sincere.

"You bitch," Layla rasped. "How dare you say that? You think just because you lost some stupid saxophone that your pain is more important than anybody else's? You think you're the only one with the right to be sad? Whose emotions are the only one's that matter?"

"I said I was sorry."

"Don't patronize me! You're not sorry!" The others turned to regard the fairies. "Ever since your sax went flying out into space, you've been a walking zombie. You've done nothing but mope around, having me, or someone else carry your weight while everything's falling apart. We lost two friends just now. _I _lost two friends. I cared about them, Musa! Did you? Or was that crappy instrument the only thing in your heart?"

"Shut up!" Musa spat.

"Struck a nerve? Bout time something got a reaction out of you."

"At least I don't pick fights with people I'm supposed to care about. You treat the boys like crap. You think you're the toughest bitch on two wings. You're always up in my face. What is your issue?"

"My issue is that I never wanted to come on this damn trip. Thanks to you I almost got killed more times in the last few hours than I ever did fighting evil. My life has been nothing but trouble ever since I became a part of this stupid club. Had I known, I'd have transferred sooner."

"Well no one's stopping you, Layla," Musa said her name like it was a curse.

"Then wait till we get back. Once we return to Alfea I am so out of here."

"Good riddance!"

"Good!"

"GOOD!"

"Guys!" Flora cried. "Stop fighting!"

"Keep out of this, flower top."

"Don't be dissing, Flora!"

Layla turned on Musa. "I'll talk however I want to whoever I want." She put her hands on her hips. "If you'd learn to speak up for yourself in the first place, then your boy-toy would learn some respect for women. Not to mention he'd know when to keep his mouth shut." She saw Musa clench her fist. "It's because of him we're in this mess."

"Leave Riven out of this."

"Why? Does it hurt hearing the truth?"

"Shut your mouth!"

"Want to make me?"

"My pleasure." Musa tackled Layla like a pro athlete. The fairies rolled along the ground, faces clenched in rage. Bloom watched the scene with apathy while Flora's pleas for peace went unheard. Helia came rushing back to break them up.

"Knock it off!" He tried to separate them but they were too strong, too mad. Helia was used to breaking fights up between Riven and Brandon, or Riven and Sky, but this was an entirely different matter. These girls were really angry. They also possessed magic. Helia had to find a way to break them up without hurting himself or them, namely the former.

"That's enough!" He yelled, hoping that would put a stop to it. It didn't. Helia looked to the other girls for help. Bloom made no attempt at stopping them and Flora was too distraught. Their friendship, which had survived countless battles, fights, and petty rivalries, was beginning to unravel before her eyes. What was happening to the Winx Club?

Sky collapsed to the floor, the events having taken their toll on the stalwart prince. Before him, Brandon and Riven were bent over Timmy, studying his readouts on the portable sick-kit unit they used to create and administer the antidote. Timmy had almost stopped breathing. Sky was sure he was lost forever to them when…

"He's alright," Brandon announced. The prince looked up. "His vital signs are weak but s table." He glanced at Sky. "We got to him just in time."

"That's a relief," Sky said with a great sigh. They had done it. Despite the odds, they had saved Timmy. Now they needed to save themselves.

"He's tougher than he looks," Riven said. "Not sure I'd have lasted as long as he did with that venom running through me."

"Timmy's the strongest guy I've ever met." Brandon sat down with relief. "Just goes to show there's more to being a hero than strength. It takes will and courage, and this guy's got them in spades."

Riven usually loved to bust Brandon's bubble when he was this happy, but right now he shared his sentiments. He was one to tease and poke fun at Timmy; calling him nerd, geek, and all sorts of derogatory names. Deep down, he did respect Timmy for his battle tactics and strategic skills, but never considered him a true warrior. As Brandon said, there was more to this scrawny kid than met the eye. Riven's respect for him shot up tenfold.

"Well that's one calamity out of the way. Now we have to deal with the others."

Riven looked at Sky. "Others?"

"The…that's right. You don't know." Timmy had just spilled the beans to Sky, and in their haste to revive their fallen friend Riven was the only one unaware of the ship's fate. Sky blew out a breath. "Brandon, why don't you tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Riven asked the squire.

Brandon was hesitant.

"What?"

"It happened not too long ago. Before Timmy woke up. Riven, it's the _Sparx_." He recounted what he saw as well as the information on the data pad sent to them by Tecna. When he was finished, Riven's face was barely holding together. "Timmy was trying to turn the data pad into some sort of tracking device. He figured we could use it to locate any magical energies nearby. If the girls," he stopped himself.

"What? If they what?"

"If they…made…it off the ship, Timmy figured we could find them with the device. He's passed out now so I don't know how far along he's got."

"We have to finish it."

"Riven, none of us here are as good with mechanics as Timmy. The guy was freaking re-wiring a simple data pad into a tracking device. That's reverse engineering on a whole new level."

But Riven wasn't listening. "The girls could be dying out there. We have to save them."

"The girls have lived through tougher scrapes than this."

"Your Stella's out there, Brandon. And your Bloom," he told Sky. "Timmy's Tecna and my….my…Musa." His eyes widened at the realization of how much she meant to him. "Musa."

Prince Sky stood up. "I did pretty well in our engineering course back at Red Fountain. I'll take a look at how far Timmy's gotten and see what I can do. In the meanwhile, I want both of you to take stock of our equipment. We're breaking camp."

"You mean we're going out to look for them?" Brandon asked, his voice full of hope.

"That storm would kill us, Brandon. Even a frost giant would be hard-pressed to survive out there. I still want to make good use of Timmy's device but we have to think smart. Timmy may be out of the woods but he's still very ill. Riven and I found an entire colony deeper into the earth and a medical facility where we will be able to keep him safe. Then there's the issue of the people trapped within the mines down below. We received a distress signal saying they're in trouble. We can't forget about them."

Riven got up. "Screw them! We have to find the girls."

"They're alive, Riven!" He yelled back. "Don't ask me how. I can feel it in my bones. Bloom, Stella, Musa, they're all alive. They're out there somewhere and I know they're surviving. They traveled to Sparx and the Under Realm. They're too tough to let this planet kill them. For their sake and for ours we have to remember what's at stake here."

"What's at stake? We're losing friends one by one."

"Have faith, Riven. For once in your life believe that everything will be okay." Sky knew what was asking a lot. Riven was not one to believe in anything. He was so reliant on logic that he forgot how to feel. He hoped Musa would have taught him otherwise. "If we go out there, blind, in that raging storm, we'll all die. If we leave Timmy here, he'll die. If we abandon those people, they die. We're specialists. Our job is to protect those who can't protect themselves. Right now, that's those people in the mines. We go back, save them, and then go look for the girls. Then we can all get off this blasted rock."

"Good plan," said a gruff voice. "But there's still the issue of finding a mode of transportation off said rock. I might have a solution."

The specialists turned toward the chamber entrance. Mister Icaran was there, sitting all smug in his portable chair, a cigar hanging from his mouth. The man looked none worse for the wear and as bright-eyed as they had ever seen him. Their mouths fell open.

"You all look like you've seen a ghost."

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**You can thank tears-in-rain for the update. Surprised I found the time to write this one.**


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